Rate My Professor Carlos Ventura

Dr. Carlos Ventura is a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia, where he serves as Director of the Earthquake Engineering Research Facility (EERF). He has more than 30 years of experience as a structural engineer. His areas of research are structural dynamics and earthquake engineering. Ventura has conducted 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 work includes experimental studies in the field and laboratory on structural systems and components. Research developments have included 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 focuses on the development of performance-based guidelines for seismic retrofit of schools, methods to evaluate the interaction between critical infrastructure vulnerable to natural and man-made hazards, and structural health monitoring of buildings, bridges, and dams. Ventura has written over 400 technical papers and reports related to the seismic behaviour of structures.

He 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). Ventura is a member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of Engineers Canada. He is also a member of several national and international professional societies, advisory committees, and building and bridge code committees. In addition to his academic activities, he is a recognized international consultant on structural vibrations and safety of large civil engineering structures. He has held appointments including Guest Professor of Structural Engineering at Tongji University (2017-2023) and ILEE Professor of the International Joint Research Laboratory of Earthquake Engineering at Tongji University (2015-present). Ventura has been recognized with additional honors such as Fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (2021), Fellow of the Society for Experimental Mechanics (2018), and Elected Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (2015).