CSEE attends the 19th World Conference on Seismic Isolation
19th World Conference on Seismic Isolation attendees at the University of California, Berkeley
By Alicia Maxwell
Published October 6, 2025
Students and faculty from the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering participated in the 19th World Conference on Seismic Isolation (19WCSI), Energy Dissipation and Active Vibration Control of Structures that was held at the University of California (UC), Berkeley from September 15 to 19, 2025.
The 19WCSI series started in 1989 in San Francisco and returned to the San Francisco Bay Area for the first time in 35 years. The event was co-organized by Dr. Ian Aiken, president of the Anti-Seismic Systems International Society, Inc and Seismic Isolation Engineering and Dr. Amarnath Kasalanati, associate director of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center at UC Berkeley.
Michael Constantinou, SUNY Distinguished Professor, delivered a keynote address on the testing of seismic protective systems hardware and secondary presentation on the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) funded by the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) contributions to the deployment of protective systems in the United States since the mid-1980s. Andrew Whittaker, SUNY Distinguished Professor, led sessions addressing the application of seismic protective systems to energy facilities and the contribution of the NHERP agencies to the global deployment of these systems.
PhD students Ajay Patel and Pranay Singh also attended. Patel presented on “Effects of gamma radiation on mechanical properties of seismic protective devices” and “3D viscoelastic dampers: Age effects and validation of FSI-based models.” Singh presented on reduced order models for rolling isolation systems.
“It was a great honor to attend such a prestigious conference in seismic isolation and present my work. The special session on Energy Infrastructure, chaired by Professor Whittaker, provided an excellent opportunity to showcase my research to both academic and industry experts,” says Patel. “Visiting seismically isolated bridges and buildings and witnessing life-saving technologies in action was an incredible experience. I also had the chance to connect with senior engineers and researchers, gaining valuable insights that will benefit both my research and professional career moving forward.”
UB CSEE alumni attendance at the conference included Professor Manish Kumar of IIT Bombay, India; Dr. Anindya Dutta, associate principal at Simpson Gumpertz and Heger, Inc.; Dr. Kerem Gulec of Thornton Tomasetti; Professor Manish Kumar of IIT Gandhinagar, India; Professor Enrique Morales of the Armed Forces University, Quito, Ecuador; Professor Amarnath Kasalanati of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center at UC Berkeley; Dr. Rodrigo Retamales, senior consultant at Seismic Intelligence, Chile; Professor Tahmeed M. Al-Hussaini of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology; Professor Nicos Makris of Southern Methodist University; Professor Gilberto Mosqueda of University of California, San Diego; and Professor Satish Nagarajaiah of Rice University.