DR. CARLOS molina hutt

assistant PROFESSOR

Faculty Advisor from 2020-present

Carlos Molina Hutt leads the Engineering for Seismic Resilience Laboratory (ESR Lab) at UBC. Their work focuses on the development of methodological approaches to assess seismic risk in buildings and its implications on urban resilience, and on the translation of this knowledge into tools and information for use by practicing engineers, seismic planners and policy makers. Their goal is to enable seismic policy decision-making with explicit consideration of the societal and economic impacts of the performance of the built environment during major earthquakes.

Carlos Molina Hutt joined the Civil Engineering Department at UBC as Assistant Professor in January 2018 from University College London (UCL), where he was a lecturer. He has degrees in Earthquake Engineering (UCL, PhD, 2017), Structural Engineering (Stanford University, MSc, 2009) and Civil Engineering (Villanova University, BSc, 2007). During his PhD studies, Carlos was a visiting scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China (2015-2016). Prior to his PhD, he worked as a structural engineer at Arup New York from 2009 to 2013. 

​Carlos is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of California in the US and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP). He is also a Chartered Engineer (CEng) Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in the UK. Carlos has experience as an independent consultant and has worked for civil engineering design firms, the humanitarian sector and the insurance and reinsurance sectors. He also provides structural engineering expertise to the European Union and the United Nations and has deployment experience as a technical expert following damaging earthquakes, including Mexico in 2017 and Ecuador in 2016. In 2019, Carlos received the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) – Shah Family Innovation Prize, which rewards younger professionals and academics for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit in the field of earthquake risk mitigation and management.

​His research has been funded by Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada’s Tri-council New Frontiers in Research Fund, the US Geological Survey, the Applied Technology Council, the US National Institute for Standards and Technology or the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, among others. He actively engages in research collaborations with industry (e.g. Risk Management Solutions, Guy Carpenter, Arup, Glotman Simpson and Bush, Bohlman & Partners), researchers at other academic institutions (Stanford University, University of Washington and Tsinghua University), and cities (including the City and County of San Francisco and the City of Vancouver).

DR. CARLOS VENTURA

PROFESSOR

Faculty Advisor from 2009-2020

Dr. Carlos Ventura is currently the Director of the Earthquake Engineering Research Facility (EERF) at UBC and has more than 30 years of experience as a structural engineer.  Dr. Ventura's areas of research are in Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering. He has been conducting research on the dynamic behavior and analysis of structural systems subjected to extreme dynamic loads, including severe ground shaking for more than twenty years. His research work includes experimental studies in the field and in the laboratory of structural systems and components.   Research developments have included development and implementation of performance-based design methods for seismic retrofit of low rise school buildings, novel techniques for regional estimation of damage to structures during earthquakes, detailed studies on nonlinear dynamic analysis of structures and methods to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of large Civil Engineering structures.  His current research is focused on the development of performance-based guidelines for seismic retrofit of schools, on methods to evaluate the interaction between critical infrastructure vulnerable to natural and man-made hazards, and on structural health monitoring of building, bridges and dams. Dr. Ventura has written over 400 technical papers and reports related to the seismic behaviour of structures, and has received numerous awards for his research accomplishments, including the Lieutenant Governor's Award of Excellence (2013), the Innovation Award of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering (2010) and the APEGBC Meritorious Achievement Award (2006).  He is a member of several national and international professional societies and advisory committees.  He is a member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and Fellow of Engineers Canada.  He is also a member of several building and bridge code committees. In addition to his academic activities, Dr. Ventura is a recognized international consultant on structural vibrations and safety of large Civil Engineering structures.