Academy of Distinguished Alumni
Reginald DesRoches Ph.D., N.A.E.
Inducted to the Academy of Distinguished Alumni on
Reginald DesRoches received his Ph.D. (1998) degree and M.S. (1993) degree in Civil (Structural) Engineering, and his B.S. (1990) degree in Mechanical Engineering, from the University of California, Berkeley. Since graduation, he has served on the faculty of the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Presently, he is the Karen and John Huff School Chair.
Prof. DesRoches’ primary research interests relate to the analysis and design of buildings and critical infrastructure subjected to earthquake loading, and seismic risk assessment. He has a particular interest in mitigating the impacts of earthquakes on communities in the Caribbean and Western Africa. He is the author or coauthor of more than 250 journal and conference papers in the areas of structural design, seismic risk assessment, and seismic response, and resilience. He has supervised more than 30 doctoral students. Dr. DesRoches has served as the key technical leader in the U.S. response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. He led a team of 28 engineers, architects, city planners, and social scientists to study impacts of the earthquake and help the Haitian government in its emergency response.
Dr. DesRoches has received a number of awards and honors for his career accomplishments, including: the National Science Foundation (NSF) Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2002, the ASCE Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize (2007), the Georgia Tech ANAK Award (2008), and the Georgia Tech Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Advisor Award (2010). The ANAK Award is the highest honor the undergraduate student body can bestow on a Georgia Tech faculty member. Most recently, he is the recipient of the 2015 Charles Martin Duke Lifeline Earthquake Engineering Award from ASCE.
Dr. DesRoches has served as Chair of the ASCE Seismic Effects Committee (2006-2010), and was on the Board of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI). He is currently a member of both the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Resilient America Roundtable and NAS Board on Army Science and Technology (BAST). He is also a member of the Advisory Committee for the NSF Engineering Directorate. Dr. DesRoches was elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 2020.
Dr. DesRoches has been a long-time friend of the Berkeley CEE Department, advising members on the start-up of the CEE Advisory Council, collaborating with faculty, and serving on the 2014 CEE Department External Review Committee.