Biography
Eric is a graduate student working to complete his master’s degree in geophysics. He is member of David McCallan’s group in developing computational models of earthquakes in order to assess seismic hazard. His current project is a collaborative effort with Suiwen Wu to input simulated earthquake motions into realistic finite element models of soils with building models. Very few near field seismic records exist for large magnitude seismic events, therefore physics-based simulations are one of the only available source of realistic ground motions for large events in order to systematically assess the performance of common structural elements. He has also constructed a large geologic model of the Reno basin, allowing for tests of seismic risk in a small confined shallow basin. Eric enjoys leveraging modern HPC systems to solve otherwise intractable problems. He aspires to continue completing similarly intellectually stimulating work after his graduation this spring.