Kit Miyamoto
Dr. Hideki "Kit" Miyamoto | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Tokyo, Japan |
| Nationality | American, Japanese |
| Education | Ph.D from Tokyo Institute of Technology,[1] MS and BS from California State University[2] |
| Occupation | Seismic safety professional[3] |
| Known for | Miyamoto International, Earthquake disaster response |
Dr. Hideki "Kit" Miyamoto (born 1963)[1] is a Japanese American structural engineer known for being the founder-CEO of Miyamoto International, a global structural engineering and disaster risk reduction organization.[4][5] He is also the chairman of California's Alfred E. Alquist Seismic Safety Commission, which investigates earthquakes and recommends policies for risk reduction.[6]
Early life and education
Miyamoto was born and raised in Tokyo and studied earthquake engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and California State University. He lives in Los Angeles.[7]
Career
Miyamoto started his career in structural engineering[2] and later focused on disaster resiliency, response and reconstruction.[8] He provides policy consultation to the World Bank, USAID, UN agencies, governments and private sector. He has led teams of professionals on response and reconstruction projects after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake,[1] 2010 Haiti earthquake,[9][10] 2011 Japan earthquake, 2015 Nepal earthquake,[11] 2020 Puerto Rico earthquakes[12] and other seismic risk reduction programs along with disaster risk mitigation policy work.[13]
Miyamoto was elected as a chair of the California Seismic Safety Commission in October 2020. He has formerly served as a seismic safety commissioner for eight years where he has advocated for increased resiliency in California.[14]
Innovations
Dr. Miyamoto was responsible for the seismic retrofit of the Theme Building, an iconic Space Age structure at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The innovative retrofit consisted of adding a tuned mass damper (TMD) to the top of the building’s core. The TMD option was selected because it was less expensive, protected the building’s architectural features, and minimized building closure.[15] This was the first time this retrofit had been achieved in the United States.[16]
Awards & Recognition
| Year | Award | Institution or Publication | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Most Admired CEO | Sacramento Business Journal | [17] |
Publications
- Seismic Risk Assessment and Retrofit of School Buildings In Developing Countries Los Angeles, California, 2018.
- Seismic Collapse Probability of Structures with Viscous Dampers per ASCE 7-16: Effect of Large Earthquake Los Angeles, California, 2018.
- Damage Assessment and Seismic Retrofit of Heritage and Modern Buildings in the Aftermath of 2015 Nepal Earthquake Los Angeles, California, 2018.
- Design of Structures with Dampers per ASCE 7-16 and Performance for Large Earthquakes Houston, Texas, 2018.
- Cost-Effective Seismic Isolation Retrofit of Heritage Cathedrals in Haiti Santiago, Chile, 2017.
- Transparent Global Earthquake Risk And Loss Estimation Tokyo, Japan, 2013.
Media
Major media such as CNN,[18] LA Times,[19] NY Times[20] and Rolling Stone[21] have mentioned, represented, or interviewed him. He was also featured in the “Designing for Disaster” exhibit at the National Building Museum.[22]
References
- ^ a b c Emblin, Richard (14 August 2017). "Miyamoto: Making Bogotá seismically more secure". The City Paper Bogotá.
- ^ a b van der Meer, Ben (5 December 2014). "H. Kit Miyamoto: Quake expert picks up the pieces". Sacramento Business Journal.
- ^ Lin, Rong-Gong (4 October 2017). "In this Mexican town broken by an earthquake, hope rises". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Staff (17 July 2017). "Miyamoto brings its earthquake expertise to seismic Colombia". The City Paper Bogotá.
- ^ Ashbrook, Tom (April 19, 2016). "Preparing For The Next Deadly Earthquake". www.wbur.org.
- ^ Berardi, Erica (October 29, 2020). "Kit Miyamoto Is Named Chair of California's Seismic Safety Commission". Engineering News-Record.
- ^ Fountain, Henry (25 March 2011). "Extent of Damage to Japan's Infrastructure Still Unclear". The New York Times.
- ^ Pardo, Daniela (June 4, 2018). "How prepared is Sacramento to receive evacuees after a natural disaster?". American Broadcasting Company 10.
- ^ Reitman, Janet (4 August 2011). "Beyond Relief: How the World Failed Haiti". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Kurczy, Stephen (4 November 2010). "Haiti's tent cities to bear worst of potential hurricane Tomas". Christian Science Monitor.
- ^ Staff (30 November 2015). "Miyamoto stresses on technology, change and modification". The Himalayan Times.
- ^ Florido, Adrian (17 January 2020). "Earthquake-Stricken Puerto Ricans Seek Engineers To Inspect The Safety Of Their Homes". WFAE.
- ^ Malkin, Elisabeth (5 October 2017). "In Mexico City, Pressure to Prepare for the Next Big Earthquake (Published 2017)". The New York Times.
- ^ Carothers, Luke (27 October 2020). "Dr. Kit Miyamoto Elected as a Chair of California Seismic Safety Commission". Civil + Structural Engineer magazine.
- ^ (PDF) Seismic Retrofit of a Landmark Structure Using a Mass Damper: (PDF) Seismic Retrofit of a Landmark Structure Using a Mass Damper, accessdate: March 2, 2022
- ^ lawa.org/news-releases/2010/news-release-33: lawa.org/news-releases/2010/news-release-33, accessdate: March 2, 2022
- ^ Sacramento Business Journal: Most Admired CEO honoree: H. Kit Miyamoto, Miyamoto International - Sacramento Business Journal, accessdate: June 6, 2022
- ^ CNN.com: Haiti trying to avoid past mistakes as rebuilding begins - CNN.com, accessdate: March 2, 2022
- ^ Los Angeles Times: Heading inside a quake-damaged hospital in Mexico - Los Angeles Times, accessdate: March 2, 2022
- ^ The New York Times: Japan’s Strict Codes and Drills Are Seen as Lifesavers - The New York Times, accessdate: March 2, 2022
- ^ Rolling Stone: Beyond Relief: How the World Failed Haiti - Rolling Stone, accessdate: March 2, 2022
- ^ Blog: Designing for Disaster - Blog, accessdate: March 2, 2022