Troy, N.Y. - Ricardo Dobry, director of the Geotechnical Centrifuge Research Center and professor of civil engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Dobry was elected for his fundamental contributions to multiple aspects of geotechnical earthquake engineering, according to NAE's announcement of 76 new members and 11 foreign associates.

Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made "important contributions to engineering theory and practice, including significant contributions to the literature of engineering theory and practice," NAE President William A. Wulf said in the announcement of new members. Membership also recognizes those who have demonstrated accomplishment in "the pioneering of new fields of engineering, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education."

"Dobry's research, often referred to as performance-based earthquake engineering, has been fundamental in predicting and quantifying the performance of soils, foundations, and structures in an earthquake," said Arthur Sanderson, vice president for research at Rensselaer. "His work has lead to the development of seismic code requirements and seismic guidelines for buildings, bridges, and other structures."

Dobry directs a Rensselaer team of earthquake researchers working in collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and several other institutions to form an Internet consortium called the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES), one of 15 interconnected laboratories throughout the country funded by NSF to revolutionize earthquake engineering research and promote the sharing of information.

Dobry is also one of the authors of the 20-year research plan in earthquake engineering prepared in 2003 by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute for NSF.

Dobry joined the Rensselaer faculty in 1977 and has been the director of the Geotechnical Centrifuge Research Center at Rensselaer since 1988. Dobry was awarded the J. James R. Croes Medal from the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1985 and has written more than 200 technical papers and research reports. He earned a doctorate in civil engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1971, a master's degree in soil mechanics from the National University of Mexico in 1964, and a bachelor's degree in structural engineering from the University of Chile in 1963.

Dobry joins Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson and 10 other faculty members who are members of NAE.

About the NAE
Founded in 1964, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) provides engineering leadership in service to the nation. The NAE operates under the same congressional act of incorporation that established the National Academy of Sciences, signed in 1863 by President Lincoln. Under this charter the NAE is directed "whenever called upon by any department or agency of the government, to investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any subject of science or art." The NAE is a private, independent, nonprofit institution. In addition to its role as adviser to the federal government, the NAE also conducts independent studies to examine important topics in engineering and technology.

Contact: Mary Cimo
Phone: (518) 687-7174
E-mail: cimom@rpi.edu