A Brief History of the United States - China
Earthquake
Engineering Foundation
Wilfred, D. Iwan, Secretary/Treasurer
The United States - China Earthquake Engineering Foundation
was established in 2002 as a memorial to Professor
Liu Hui-Xian who was the founding Director of the
Institute of Engineering Mechanics in Harbin, China
and is widely considered to be the father of
earthquake engineering in China.
The Foundation is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation that
operates as a charitable organization according to
Bylaws approved by the Secretary of State of
California. The Foundation has no general membership
but is managed by a Board of Directors. The offices
of the Foundation are at the California Institute of
Technology in Pasadena, California.
The purpose of the Foundation is to encourage and support
research and education in earthquake engineering and
related fields, and the application of research
results to reduce life loss and property damage from
earthquakes. This purpose is accomplished through
cooperative efforts between members of the
earthquake engineering communities in the United
States and China. To this end, the Foundation is
authorized to engage in such activities as:
(1) Encouraging and facilitating cooperation in
research, education, and applications in earthquake
engineering and related fields between the United
States and China.
(2) Soliciting funds to support research and
education in earthquake engineering and related
fields, and the application of research results.
(3) Awarding grants and other forms of support for
research, educational, and applications purposes.
(4) Conducting workshops, conferences, and seminars
designed to encourage, facilitate, and focus
research, education and applications in earthquake
engineering and related fields.
(5) Undertaking research, educational, and
applications projects for the public benefit.
The activities of the Foundation are overseen by a
Board of Directors consisting of seven members. The
founding President of the Foundation was Professor
George Housner of the California Institute of
Technology. The current President of the Foundation
is Professor Joseph Penzien. In addition to
Professor Penzien, the current members of the Board
of Directors are: Sheldon Cherry, Weimin Dong,
Wilfred Iwan (Secretary/Treasurer), George Lee,
Shih-Chi Liu, and Billie Spencer Jr.
The United States - China Earthquake Engineering
Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
the Huixian Earthquake Engineering Foundation of
China in August of 2002. In that agreement, the two
Foundations pledged to work together toward the goal
of reducing life loss and property damage in
earthquakes. In May of 2008, a further agreement was
signed between the two Foundations pledging to
provide mutual support for the Fourteenth World
Conference of Earthquake Engineering (14WCEE) which
was held later that year in Beijing. The supportive
relationship between the two Foundations is a vital
part of the efforts of each Foundation.
The United States - China Earthquake Engineering
Foundation looks forward to maintaining strong ties
with its counterparts in China as together we seek
to find ways to provide greater protection to our
representative populations in earthquakes.
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