OSU is the first university since PEER’s inception in 1997 added as a core institution, and increases the number of PEER Core Institutions to a total of ten universities including the California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine; UCLA, UC San Diego, USC, and the University of Washington.
“PEER consists of the leading academic institutions in the West focused on earthquake engineering and preparedness, and being part of this group will be a significant asset to Oregon,” said Scott Ashford, professor and interim dean of the OSU College of Engineering. “Our region faces major earthquake and tsunami risks from the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and this collaboration will help provide the science and research needed to better address those risks.”
OSU has one of the nation’s most sophisticated tsunami research basins and extensive programs in earthquake engineering, seismic safety, the study of “liquefaction,” fault analysis, geophysics and other work relevant to earthquake hazards and mitigation.
“With their wide range of expertise, resources, and connections in the State of Oregon, PEER anticipates that OSU researchers will make important contributions to a variety of PEER activities, especially our tsunami and lifelines research programs,” said Stephen Mahin, Director of the PEER Center “I welcome OSU and look forward to their increased involvement with PEER.”