Andre Filiatrault, Ph.D., Eng., a professor at the University at Buffalo and leading expert on shake-table testing of structural and nonstructural building components, has been elected to a two-year term as director of MCEER. Filiatrault previously served as deputy director of MCEER. He succeeds Michel Bruneau who stepped down from his MCEER post at the end of August.

Read A Letter on MCEER's Future , from the new director.

Read the complete press release from MCEER .

Announcement and Call for Nominations:

Beginning in 2009, the Bruce Bolt Medal will be awarded jointly by COSMOS , SSA , and 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.

Nominations for the 2009 Bolt Medal will be accepted until October 31^st. Click here for more information about the award.

Presentations discussed scenario initiatives underway in various parts of the U.S., including Utah, the New Madrid region, and southern California.

The two day workshop was a lively combination of presentations by those who have already developed scenarios and could provide guidance on how to gather specific information, with small working groups where participants discussed scenario organization and construction, leadership, consensus building, administrative support, logistics, ownership, promotion, PR, and fund raising. Recommendations from the workshop will be used to develop a new website on scenario planning, as well as a summary document. Basic resource material from the workshop will be posted up on the scenario website, at www.nehrpscenario.org . Check the website frequently for new information.

Confined masonry under construction in Indonesia. [Photo: Build Change]

Confined masonry is a construction system where the masonry walls are built first, and the concrete columns and beams are poured in afterwards to enclose (confine) the walls. It has typically performed well in past earthquakes worldwide, when built according to code requirements. Its satisfactory earthquake performance is due to the joint action of masonry walls and their confining elements. A website has been created where information on this technology is being gathered and shared: www.confinedmasonry.org .

The Mid-America Earthquake (MAE) Center at the University of Illinois announces the release of its report entitled ‘Impact of Earthquakes on the Central USA’. The report is the outcome of one of the largest and most comprehensive earthquake consequence assessment projects funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The report contains earthquake impact assessments for the 8 central US (CUSEC) states, and lists damage and other consequences to the built environment as well as social and economic impacts. The earthquake scenarios used represent the New Madrid, Wabash Valley and East Tennessee seismic zones. The analysis employs new and more reliable hazard and inventory data that has not been used before.