It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year. 100,000 of those can be felt, and 100 of them cause damage. Because of the relative infrequency of earthquakes, their effects are often neglected or ignored when buildings are designed. However, when one does strike, it can cause enormous losses of life and property.

For example, the 1995 Kobe earthquake in Great Hanshin, Japan killed more than 6,000 people and caused $200 billion of property damage, among which were 200,000 collapsed buildings.

We as the BYU chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) are dedicated to reducing earthquake risk by

1. advancing the science and practice of earthquake engineering,
2. improving understanding of the impact of earthquakes on the physical, social, economic, political, and cultural environment, and
3. advocating comprehensive and realistic measures for reducing the harmful effects of earthquakes.

We hope that you will join with us in this challenging and exciting endeavor.