Wenchuan Earthquake Seminar Monday |
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14 August 2008 ATTENTION: Assignment desks and science reporters |
Contact:
Heidi Faison, Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center |
WHAT
A seminar examining China's Wenchuan Earthquake, the magnitude 7.9 earthquake that killed nearly 70,000 people and left 4.8 million more homeless when it struck the Sichuan Province on May 12.
An official with China's Earthquake Administration will present never-before-seen geological data and results from an extensive post-event survey of the damage. U.S. experts who have visited the affected region as members of official reconnaissance teams also will address how the findings and lessons from the Wenchuan Earthquake can be applied to future earthquake preparedness in the United States. Additionally, San Francisco officials will discuss the city's new China Earthquake Technical Partnership, a joint public-private effort to assemble and share seismic engineering, design and recovery expertise with China's damaged cities.
The event is being organized by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center, based at the University of California, Berkeley, in partnership with the city of San Francisco, PG&E, Structural Engineers Association of Northern California and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute; and various business and industry partners.
WHEN
4-6:30 p.m., Monday, Aug. 18
WHERE
PG&E Auditorium, 77 Beale St., San Francisco. The auditorium entrance is on the left side of the waterfall at the main building entrance.
WHO
Speakers and panelists will include:
- Zifa Wang, director at the Institute of Engineering Mechanics in the China Earthquake Administration
- Khalid Mosalam, UC Berkeley professor of civil engineering
- Raymond Lui, San Francisco's deputy director and manager of plan review services in the Department of Building Inspection
- Gretchen Kalonji, director of international strategy development at the UC Office of the President
- Joseph Sun of the PG&E Geosciences Department
- and Edmund Lee, San Francisco city administrator
A full list of participants and additional information about the seminar is available online at the PEER Center's homepage.