Farzad Naeim (M. EERI, 1983), President of Farzad Naeim, Inc. and Adjunct Professor of Engineering at University of California, Irvine, has been named the 2017 recipient of the Bruce A. Bolt Medal. The Bruce Bolt Medal is awarded jointly by the Consortium of Strong Motion Observation Systems (COSMOS), the Seismological Society of America (SSA), and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)to recognize individuals worldwide whose accomplishments involve the promotion and use of strong-motion earthquake data and whose leadership in the transfer of scientific and engineering knowledge into practice or policy has led to improved seismic safety.
For more than three decades, Dr. Naeim has been making significant contributions to earthquake engineering, technology and public policy. He consistently demonstrates extraordinary leadership transferring knowledge into practice to improve seismic safety. A prime example is his ongoing work with the City of Los Angeles to develop regulations for the design and construction of very tall buildings. His input and perseverance has resulted in significant seismic safety improvements in Los Angeles and other major cities.
Dr. Naeim has tirelessly served in leadership roles, including President of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), Editor-in-Chief of Earthquake Spectra, Chair of the Governance Board of the U.S. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES), and Chair of the 10th U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering. He currently serves on the Seismic Advisory Board of the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) and is the Chair of the California Strong Motion Instrumentation Advisory Committee of the California Geological Survey (SMIAC).
Before founding his own firm, as Technical Director and General Counsel at John A. Martin & Associates (JAMA), Dr. Naeim established a mission to take the best technology publicly available and develop it into tailor-made design methodologies, analysis software, and earthquake-resistant design technologies that improve seismic safety. Over the years, he has developed 48 software systems for earthquake engineering design and education.
Dr. Naeim has often been recognized for excellence in his field. He received the Fazlur Khan Medal for life-time achievement from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat and has been awarded six Outstanding Journal Paper Awards from the Los Angeles Tall Buildings Structure and Design Council. He has authored four textbooks, 14 textbook chapters, more than 120 journal papers, and is the recipient of grants from such diverse agencies as EERI, FEMA, the County of Los Angeles, the California Strong Motion Instrumentation Program, Applied Technology Council (ATC), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), for studying various damage characteristics of earthquakes and their impact on seismic design practice. Not one to rest on his laurels, 20 years after receiving his Ph.D., Farzad obtained a Juris Doctor degree. In addition to being a licensed Civil and Structural Engineer, he is a licensed Patent Attorney.
Dr. Naeim will receive the Bruce Bolt Medal at the EERI Annual Meeting on March 7-10, 2017 in Portland, Oregon. More information can be found at EERI.org.