The EMI 2020 and Probabilistic Mechanics and Structural Reliability Conference was initially planned to take place in late May 2020 at Columbia University in Manhattan, NY. As the pandemic prevented travel and large gatherings, the organizers had to postpone the conference to this year, and since the same pandemic-related constraints prevailed, they decided to hold the conference as a virtual event on May 25-28.
The virtual conference followed the familiar format of EMI conferences, with 6 plenary sessions presented by invited leading researchers, and 665 pre-recorded video-presentations by speakers in 28 countries in concurrent technical presentation mini-symposia and sessions (see the list of sessions and mini-symposia). A very successful and well attended Panel Session on Fostering Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering Mechanics sponsored by the National Science Foundation was held in the evening of May 26. A live Award Ceremony was held on May 27 to recognize the winners of the 2020 and 2021 Society and EMI awards, the class of 2021 EMI Fellows, and the winners of the nine 2021 student competitions.
The award winners were invited to record brief acceptance speeches (also, see below). All the 18 EMI technical Committees and the Editorial Board of the Journal of Engineering Mechanics met by Zoom shortly before or after the conference. The nine student competitions were also held on-line prior to the conference. The recordings of the sessions will remain accessible on-demand by the registered attendees at https://mvp.markeys.onl/EMI2021/home. A survey of the attendees will be sent shortly to gather their impressions, feedback, and suggestions.
Many thanks to the conference co-chairs, Shiho Kawashima, Ioannis A. Kougioumtzoglou, Steve Waiching Sun, Haim Waisman, George Deodatis (all of Columbia university) and Elisabeth Malsch (Thornton Tomasetti) for organizing and hosting an outstanding event under difficult circumstances!
The EMI 2022 Conference will be held on May 31–June 3, 2022 at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
Acceptance Speeches
2021 Maurice A. Biot Medal
Stein Sture, Ph.D., Hon.D.GE, F.EMI, Dist.M.ASCE
University of Colorado at Boulder
Video Acceptance
2021 George W. Housner Structural Control and Monitoring Medal
Hui Li, Ph.D.
Harbin Institute of Technology
Video Acceptance
2021 Theodore von Kármán Medal
Prof. Fabrizio Vestroni
Sapienza University of Rome
Video Acceptance
2021 EMI Leonardo da Vinci Award
Ange-Therese Akono, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE
Northwestern University
Video Acceptance
2021 Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prizes
Alexandros A. Taflanidis, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE
University of Notre Dame
Video Acceptance
2020 Alfred M. Freudenthal Medal
Dan M. Frangopol, Sc.D., P.E., F. SEI, F. EMI, Dist. M.ASCE
Lehigh University
Video Acceptance
2020 Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prizes
Michele Barbato, Ph.D., C.Eng., P.E., F.EMI, F.SEI, M.ASCE
University of California Davis
Video Acceptance
2020 Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prizes
Eleni Chatzi, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE
ETH Zürich
Video Acceptance
2020 James R. Croes Medal
Mehrdad Aghagholizadeh, Ph.D., P.E.
Southern Methodist University
Video Acceptance