Congratulations to Anne Kiremidjian, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, who has been appointed as the next C.L. Peck, Class of 1906 Professor in the School of Engineering.
Anne joined the Stanford faculty in 1978. She served as co-director of the John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Research Center from 1987 to 1995, and as its director from 1995 to 2002. Her research focuses on design and implementation of wireless sensor networks for structural damage and health monitoring. Her work has many applications, including earthquake hazard and loss estimation, regional risk assessment, risk analysis of transportation systems, wireless sensor and sensing system development for structural performance evaluation, and development of damage detection algorithms using sensor measurements. In addition to many other accolades and awards for her research, in 2018 Anne received the John Fritz Medal from the American Association of Engineering Societies, which recognizes one individual each year for scientific or industrial achievements in the pure or applied sciences.
The C.L. Peck, Class of 1906 professorship was endowed in 1982 with a gift from Clair Peck, Jr. in honor of his father, and is intended to support a senior faculty member in civil engineering working in construction, earthquake engineering, technology, structural engineering, or related fields. Special consideration is given to candidates who have been unusually successful in inspiring students to dedicate themselves to high standards of professional achievement.
Anne—like her predecessors James Leckie (2007-2020) and Paul Roberts (1989-2006)—is a natural fit for this appointment. In addition to being a key figure in the development of her field, Anne is a dedicated educator and advocate for women in engineering. She has advised over 150 PhD and masters students, many of whom have gone on to prominent positions in industry and academia. In honor of her devotion to her students, Anne received The Distinguished Educator Award from the Society for Women Engineers in 1992, and Stanford's School of Engineering Distinguished Advisor Award in 1989.