Oregon State University Professor Scott A. Ashford has been elected President-Elect of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute Board of Directors. Ashford will begin his service in early 2026, succeeding current board president Ellen Rathje.
"I am honored to be elected the next president of this member-driven organization,” Ashford said. “The work of EERI saves lives, reduces earthquake losses worldwide, and helps develop the next generation of professionals to do the same.”
Founded in 1948, EERI is a leading non-profit professional association whose mission is “to reduce earthquake risk and promote earthquake engineering research, education, and practice.” Members span engineering, geoscience, architecture, emergency management, public health, policy, and more. EERI provides members with technical knowledge, leadership training, advocacy skills, and collaboration networks.
EERI’s Board of Directors is the central decision-making body responsible for developing strategy, guiding direction, and representing the interests of its membership. As President-Elect, Ashford will serve one year in that role, followed by two years as President and one year as Past-President — providing continuity of leadership and oversight of EERI’s activities.
Ashford, who recently stepped down from his position as Kearney Dean of Engineering at Oregon State, has been a leader in geotechnical and earthquake engineering for decades. A 1983 OSU alumnus (B.S. Civil Engineering) who earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, Ashford returned to OSU as faculty in 2007 after earlier positions in industry, the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, and at UC San Diego. His research focuses on lifeline performance in extreme events, ground-structure interaction, and blast-induced liquefaction. According to the EERI candidate announcement, “he is an international expert in blast-induced liquefaction, soil-structure interaction and slope stability.”
During his 12 years as dean of the College of Engineering, Ashford oversaw tremendous growth in research expenditures, student enrollment, and alumni engagement. His professional recognitions include being named Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, receiving the Society of Women Engineers Rodney D. Chipp Memorial Award, and being named the ASCE Oregon Section Government Engineer of the Year in 2023.
Ashford will take office at the first board meeting of 2026. In his new capacity he will help guide EERI’s strategic priorities — such as growing membership engagement, strengthening fiscal stewardship, and expanding multi-hazard resilience pathways.
