Academy of Distinguished Alumni
Anil K. Chopra Ph.D., N.A.E.
Inducted to the Academy of Distinguished Alumni on
Anil Chopra received his Ph.D. degree (1966), M.S. degree (1963), and B.S. degree (1960) in Civil Engineering, all from the University of California, Berkeley. His graduate school focus was in structural engineering and mechanics. Upon completing his Ph.D., he joined the faculty in the Department of Civil Engineering (in 1967) and remained at Berkeley throughout his entire 50-year career. During that time, he rose to be the Horace, Dorothy, and Katherine Johnson Chair in Engineering, and he served as both Chair and Vice Chair of the Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Materials Group. In 2016, he became an emeritus member of the faculty.
Prof. Chopra is a world-renowned leader in the field of structural dynamics. He has been responsible for the development and teaching of courses in structural engineering, structural dynamics, and earthquake engineering. His research activities include studies of structural dynamics, earthquake analysis and design of buildings, dynamic soil structure interaction, dynamic fluid structure interaction, and earthquake analysis and design of concrete dams. He has authored more than 330 authoritative technical papers, a monograph, Earthquake Dynamics of Structures, A Primer, and a textbook, Dynamics of Structures: Theory and Applications to Earthquake Engineering. He serves as a consultant on earthquake engineering problems to numerous governmental and private organizations in several countries. Throughout his career, Prof. Chopra has been of service to the profession, serving as Executive Committee Chairman of both the ASCE Engineering Mechanics Division and ASCE Structural Engineering Division.
Prof. Chopra has received numerous recognitions and awards for his contributions to the profession. From the American Society of Civil Engineers, he has been awarded the Norman Medal (four times, a rare distinction achieved only twice in the history of the award), Raymond C. Reese Research Prize, and Walter L. Huber Research Prize. He received the George W. Housner Medal from the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. He is an Honorary Member of both the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California and the International Association for Earthquake Engineering. Prof. Chopra was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1984.
In 2016, Prof. Chopra received the Berkeley Citation for "distinguished achievement and for notable service to the University." The Berkeley Citation is given to individuals "whose contributions to UC Berkeley go beyond the call of duty and whose achievements exceed the standards of excellence in their fields." He also received a Distinguished Teaching Award from the university in 1999. He has been of service to Berkeley CEE, COE, and the Berkeley campus throughout his five-decade long career at the university.