Colleagues, Affiliate Members and Friends of IAEE,

On June 18, 2018, I assumed the position of the fifteenth President of the International Association for Earthquake Engineering (IAEE). I feel much honored to have been elected to this prestigious position, and shall work to my best to promote the sustainable development of IAEE. The utmost mission of IAEE is to provide an international forum in which people with various kinds of expertise convene and discuss issues in the mitigation of earthquake-related disasters. Traditionally, IAEE activities have been energized by engineering practitioners and researchers (civil, structural, mechanical, and geotechnical) and earth scientists (geologists, geophysicists, seismologists). In recent years, the involvement of architects, urban planners, public officials, and social scientists have increased, creating a more multidisciplinary IAEE.

IAEE was founded in 1963. Since that time, IAEE has continued to grow, and as of today, a total of 59 countries and regions are registered in IAEE. Once every four years, IAEE organizes the World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (WCEE) at various cities around the world. The last one (the Sixteenth WCEE, called 16WCEE) was held at Santiago, Chile, on January 2017, where 3,000 people registered for the conference. 15WCEE, which was organized four year before 16WCEE, was held at Lisbon, Portugal, on September 2012, where 2,300 people registered. For nearly 60 years, WCEE has been one of the largest technical/professional gatherings and continues to serve as "Connection" among the stakeholders in relevant disciplines as well as people with diverse backgrounds in culture, religion, and social structure.

Our globe is experiencing an explosive increase in population combined with rapid development and urbanization due to growing economic activities. We now face the ultimate question of how to ensure the sustainable development of the human sphere, in which the threat of earthquake disasters is one of the most critical problems to resolve on a global scale. We shall not overlook the reality that the densification of our cities and towns, which occurs as a result of such development and urbanization, makes our society more and more vulnerable against earthquake disasters. To overcome this vulnerability, we must invent novel solutions, and to this end, expend a more interdisciplinary effort, in which new disciplines are forged through collective, integral efforts among diverse genres.

It is also notable that we shall further a transdisciplinary attitude, in which linkage with the real world is appreciated, so that solutions reach the society in a most effective and timely manner. IAEE wishes to serve as "Connection" among people and genres to make our efforts more interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary. Human factors are naturally influential in the understanding and promotion of efforts that seek for the mitigation of earthquake-related disasters. Learning from the past and reflecting it to the present and future are important. IAEE regards it as its duty to ensure "Connection" among the past, present, and future and to secure the transfer of knowledge across generations. IAEE is currently preparing for a new initiative that can assist such efforts, and will present it soon in detail.

On behalf of the family of national organizations that comprise IAEE, I greet you with respect and look forward to working with you.

- Masayoshi Nakashima, President

Due to the efforts of Professor Carlos Llopiz at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina, the oral history volume on Robert Park and Thomas Paulay published by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering has been translated into Spanish. It is available as a freely downloaded pdf at:
https://www.eeri.org/site/images/projects/oralhistory/park_paulay_espanol.pdf

The translation was done by Claudia Llopiz, and EERI member Professor Jose Restrepo of the University of California at San Diego provided editorial oversight. The team at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo is now at work in translating the EERI oral history on Vitelmo Bertero, which will be announced when it is available. The other books and downloadable pdfs in the EERI oral history series are available at:
https://www.eeri.org/monographs-and-oral-histories/oral-history-series/

-Bob Reitherman
Chair, EERI Oral History Committee

On Septmeber 6, the 8.1-magnitude earthquake in Mexico, Chipas Earthquake, struck off the country's southern coast and affected 1.5 million people, with more than 90 casualty and 40,000 homes damaged. A dozen of strong aftershocks measuring above 5.0 in magnitude continue to affected the devastated areas. One September 19 , the 7.1-magnitude earhquake, 2017 Central Mexico Earthquake, hit the country of Mexico again at the south of the city of Puebla. Due to the earthquake-related building collapses more than 350 fatalities and 6,000 injuries have been reported. The IAEE officers offer our heartfelt sympathy for those affected by the earthquake in Mexico.

- IAEE Central Office

The IAEE extends our deepest condolences on the passing of Prof. J. Eisenberg. He had long served as the president of the National Committee of Russian Federation for participation in International Organizations for Earthquake Engineering (RFNCEE). For IAEE, Prof. Eigsenberg had served as a member of Executive Committee since 1996 to 2004. We would like to address our sincere acknowledgements to his distinguished contributions to earthquake engineering and mitigation of earthquake damage.

- IAEE Central Office

The IAEE is pleased to announce that the following distingushed scholars have been awarded IAEE honorary membership for their outstanding contribution in the field of Earthquake Engineering.
Thomas D. O'Rourke (USA, Lifeline Earthquake Engineering)
Masayoshi Nakashima (Japan, Experimental Earthquake Engineering)
Polat Gulkan (Turkey, Earthquake Engineering)
Michael Fardis (Greece, Earthquake Engineering)
James M. Kelly (USA, Earthquake Protection Systems)

- IAEE Central Office

The IAEE welcomes the following new Executive Committee members: Svetlana Brzev, Serbia Consulting Structural Engineer Dina D'Ayala, UK University College London Ellen M. Rathje University of Texas Ken Elwood, New Zealand University of Auckland Otton Lara, Ecuador Consulsismica

- IAEE Central Office

The 16th World Conference of Earthquake Engineering was held in Santiago, in Chile,from January 9th to 13th. It hosted scientists and engineers working in the field of earthquake engineering all over the world, who contributed with more than 2000 scientific papers. A great variety of topics was presented, among which structural engineering, performance-based design, lifeline systems, design criteria, social and economic issues, and lessons from recent earthquakes. The 16th WCEE was a great occasion to establish new collaborations and to enforce the existing synergies inside the international scientific community, in order to spread the developments reached by the scientific research.
The IAEE is pleased to announce that the 17th WCEE will be hosted in Sendai, Japan, from September 14th to 18th 2020, and it is confident that it will provide another important chance of international collaborations.

- IAEE Central Office

We are deeply sad to inform the international community of earthquake engineering that Professor Vitelmo V. Bertero passed away as a age of 93. Prof. Bertero CEE, Professor Emeritus of the department of Civil Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, faculty member for 33 years, passed away on Oct. 24, 2016. He was known as a world-renowned pioneer, expert, and leader in the field of earthquake engineering, Please find below a tributary poted in the CEE department of UC Berkeley.

http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/news/1299

- IAEE Central Office

We are deeply grieved to inform the international community of earthquake engineers that Professor Ray William Clough, Professor Emeritus of the department of Civil Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, has passed away on October 8th, 2016. He was known as one of the founders of the finite element method (FEM). Professor Clough was a Honorary Member of IAEE taking into account his distinguished service to earthquake engineering.

- IAEE Central Office

Prof. Anil K. Chora, Honorary Member of IAEE, Professor of the University of California, Berkeley, wrote a remembrance article for Ray.

In Memoriam: Ray W. Clough

A detrimental earthquake of 6.8 magnitude hit the central area of Myanmar, 30 km far from the town of Bagan. The site was famous for hosting more than 2500 ancient temples and more than 180 pagodas were destroyed. At least one person was killed and different people were injured. Tremors were also felt as far away as Thailand, Bangladesh and India. The IAEE offers our deep sympathy to the Myanmar country for all the lost and to all people that were affected by the earthquake.

- IAEE Central Office

A M6.2 earthquake struck a string of hill towns across the central area of Italy. The mainshock was recorded close to Rieti, 200 km from the capital Rome, and it was followed by more than 39 shocks with magnitude between 3.0 and 5.5. The death toll rises to more than 280. The most affected were histric towns of Amatrice, Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto. Deep damages were reported to structures, infrastructures and hospitals and a large number of people have been evacuated. This earthquake has been declared as the largest earthquake in Italy since L'Aquila earthquake in 2009. The IAEE offers our deep condolences and sympathy to all people that were affected by the earthquake.

- IAEE Central Office

A M7.8 earthquake occurred 170 km far from the capital city Quito. The earthquake struck mainly the cost southeast of Muisne, in the Esmerald provinces, including the largest port city, Santiago de Guayaquil. Widespread damages were reported in structures and infrastructures and a large number of casualties and injuries occurred. The IAEE officers addresses our deep condolences and sympathy to those affected by the earthquake.

- IAEE Central Office

The two major earthquakes, Mw6.2 foreshock on April 14 and Mw7.0 mainshock on APril 16, hit the east of Kumamoto city in Kyushu Island, southwest of Japan. More than 10,000 housings and buildings, and the Kumamoto castle suffered severe damage by the strong ground motions. More than 44,000 people have been evacuated and around 1,200 injuries and 50 fatalities have been reported (as of April 22). The IAEE addresses our sincere condolences and deep sympathy to those affected by the earthquake.

- IAEE Central Office

The M6.4 earthquake occurred approximately 30 km northeast of Pingtung City in southern Taiwan. The worst affected city was Tainan, where several hundreds damaged buildings are reported. Most of fatalities and injuries concentrated on the collapse site of a 17-story apartment building where more than a hundred people were trapped inside. The IAEE offers deepest condolences and sympathy to those affected by the earthquake.

- IAEE Central Office

NARLabs, an independent non-profit institute consisted of several national laboratories in Taiwan, summarized a brief report of the earthquake and the resulting damage.

The pdf version of the report is available from the link below.
February 6, 2016 (local time) ML-6.4 Meinong Earthquake Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

- IAEE National Delegate, Prof. Shyh-Jiann Hwang of National Taiwan University

Indonesian Earthquake Engineering Association (IEEA) and Udayana University (UNUD)-Bali hold the 3rd International Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Disaster Mitigation on 1-2 August, 2016 in Bali, Indonesia.

Please check the leaflet below for the first annuncement and call for abstracts.

the 3rd International Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Disaster Mitigation

- IAEE Central Office

The earthquake occurred approximately 80 km to the northwest of the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu at shallow depths. A large number of fatalities and injuries, and wide-spread damage to infrastructure, buildings and historic monuments have been reported in Nepal and its neighboring regions. The IAEE offers our deepest condolences and sympathy to those affected by the devastating earthquake.

- IAEE Central Office

One of earthquake engineering's leading lights of the past several decades, Nigel Priestley, has passed away. The notice from the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering is reproduced here. It is with deep sadness that I inform you Professor Nigel Priestley passed away peacefully on Tuesday December 23, 2014 in Christchurch, surrounded by his wife and children, after a long battle with cancer. Nigel revolutionised the design of structures to resist earthquakes and made everlasting impact on the higher education for earthquake engineers in NZ, US and Europe. Nigel received numerous honours for his immense contribution to the science and art of Earthquake engineering. Amongst these, it include honorary doctorates from ETH, Zurich and Cujo Argentina; Nigel was a Distinguished Fellow of IPENZ, Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM), and a Life Member and a past President of the Society (1985-1986).

Obituary for Professor Nigel Priestley

- Gregory MacRae, IAEE National Delegate of New Zealand, with much help from friends and colleagues in New Zealand and elsewhere

The International Association for Earthquake Engineering (IAEE) was established in February 1963 with its Central Office in Tokyo. The IAEE aims to promote international cooperation among scientists and engineers in the field of earthquake engineering through interchange of knowledge, ideas, and results of research and practical experience. The aim has been achieved mainly by holding the World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (WCEE) every four years. The most recent 15th WCEE was held in Lisbon, Portugal in 2012. The 15th WCEE attracted more than 3,000 participants from all over the world. And the 16th WCEE will be held in Santiago, Chile, in January, 2017. I believe that this web site will increase visibility and recognition of the IAEE within the global engineering and scientific communities as well as within non-technical communities.

- Koichi Kusunoki, Secretary General, IAEE

Following a formal application for membership by la Asociacion Costarricense de Ingenieria Estructural y Sismica (ACIES), the IAEE Executive Committee has resolved to accept Costa Rica as its newest Member Country. We welcome our Costa Rican colleagues into the Association. With this addition, IAEE now has reached 58 members.

- IAEE Central Office

10NCEE. The 10th U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (10NCEE) will be held in Anchorage, Alaska on July 21-25, 2014. The conference, on the 50th Anniversary of the Great Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami, will provide an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to share the latest knowledge and techniques to mitigate the damaging effects of earthquakes and tsunamis. More information can be found on the conference website at 10NCEE.

We are deeply grieved to inform the international community of earthquake engineers that Professor Sheldon Cherry, Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, has passed away on March 23, 2014, a few days short of his 86th birthday. Professor Cherry's service to IAEE was as follows: Director (1973-1980), President (1996-2002), Honorary Member (from 2004). [move page]

Nicholas Neocles Ambraseys (1929-2012) was one of the towering figures of engineering seismology, who played a key role in the development　 of the discipline for more than half a century - from before the foundation of the IAEE in 1963 (he attended the committee meetings in 1960 that led to its establishment) right up to the time of his death at his London home on 28th December. [move page]

National organizations from the following countries have endorsed to the IAEE declaration.

Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Korea, Macedonia, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Chinese Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, USA and Venezuela

Authored by Jitendra Bothara of New Zealand and Svetlana Brzev of Canada, the tutorial focuses on traditional stone masonry dwellings primarily in the earthquake-prone countries of Asia, explains the underlying causes for their poor seismic performance and offers techniques for improving both new and existing buildings. A pdf version of the tutorial is available at the World Housing Encyclopedia
website: http://www.world-housing.net/tutorials/stone-tutorials

The production of the tutorial was a collaborative effort among EERI, the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering and the Earthquake Engineering Center of the University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan.

The Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery of the United Nations Development Programme has printed copies of the tutorial for distribution through their program in Asia. The publication will be shared with UNDP country offices, national governments' disaster management ministries and offices, and used in training programs. EERI and the National Information Centre of Earthquake Engineering (NICEE) at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur have copies available for the cost of shipping and handling. EERI shipping rates are: $10 to the U.S., $15 to Canada and Mexico, and $20 to other countries. Please contact NICEE (nicee.org) to order the publication from them.

the World Housing Encyclopedia is a joint project of EERI and IAEE. More information is available at the project website: www.world-housing.net.

A fellowship fund has been established in the name of Joseph Penzien to fund and support graduate engineering students enrolled in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Preference will be given to students who have demonstrated financial need and have chosen the field of structural engineering and structural mechanics. The goal is to raise $500,000 to qualify for a named graduate fellowship.

To make a contribution, please send cash/checks to Enid C. Pollack, Sr. Development Director at UC Berkeley College of Engineering, 210 McLaughlin Hall, College of Engineering, Berkeley, CA 94720-1722. Please make checks payable to UC Berkeley College of Engineering and include check memo: Joseph Penzien Memorial Fund. Ms. Pollack can be contacted by phone at 510-642-2257 or by email at epollack@berkeley.edu.

All of the papers in the World Conference on Earthquake Engineering Proceedings from the first WCEE in 1956 to present have been digitized by the National Centre of Earthquake Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur

Papers from all of the World Conferences can be accessed at:

https://www.nicee.org/wcee/index2.php