Above: Paolo Gardoni (left) with Anil K. Chopra.
Anil K. Chopra delivered the 2016/2017 Newmark Distinguished Lecture on Monday, May 1, 2017, in the NCSA Auditorium on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. Chopra is a Chancellor’s Professor and the Horace, Dorothy, and Katherine Johnson Professor of Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of California, Berkeley, where he teaches courses in structural engineering, structural dynamics and earthquake engineering.
Among other honors, Chopra was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1984, and was awarded the Nathan Newmark Medal from the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1993. He has authored more than 330 papers, as well as a textbook, “Dynamics of Structures: Theory and Applications to Earthquake Engineering,” the fifth edition of which was published in 2016.
Chopra’s research interests include structural dynamics, earthquake analysis and design of buildings, dynamic soil structure interaction, dynamic fluid structure interaction, and earthquake analysis and design of concrete dams. This interest was reflected in his lecture, “Earthquake Analysis and Response of Concrete Dams,” which he delivered to a crowded auditorium.
"It is truly impossible to overstate the achievements and contributions of Professor Chopra to civil engineering in general and, specifically, to dynamics of structures and earthquake engineering,” said Professor Paolo Gardoni. “Professor Chopra is simply a legend and we were very honored to have him here with us.”
The Nathan M. Newmark Distinguished Lecture series is hosted annually by CEE at Illinois. The series honors Nathan M. Newmark, a national leader in civil engineering education and research, and a prominent consulting engineer. Newmark served on the faculty of the University of Illinois Civil Engineering department from 1930-1981, and as head of the department from 1956-1973.