Praveen K. Malhotra, after completing his Ph.D. in engineering under Professor Veletsos at Rice University, Dr. Malhotra worked for seven years alongside eminent geologists and seismologists at the California Geological Survey (CGS). This experience helped Dr. Malhotra close the gap between earth sciences and engineering while realizing the uncertain nature of earthquake ground motions. After CGS, Dr. Malhotra worked for a property insurance company to help assess and mitigate the risk from earthquakes around the globe. Dr. Malhotra recognized that there are two very different perspectives of the risk: (1) aggregate risk from the insurer's or government's perspective, and (2) site-specific risk from the insured's or owner's perspective. Both risks need to be managed. After 13 years of working with the insurance company, Dr. Malhotra started his own consulting practice in 2010. Most of his projects require: (1) prediction of future ground motions, and (2) performance-based evaluation, retrofit and design of structures. He publishes extensively and presents seismic training seminars throughout USA and abroad. He is a licensed engineer in California and holds two patents. Dr. Malhotra believes that the risk should be assessed transparently and mitigated creatively.

More with this instructor