C. Allin Cornell
Encyclopedia
C. Allin Cornell (born September 19, 1938) is a civil engineer who made important contributions to reliability theory
and earthquake engineering
and, along with Dr. Luis Esteva, developed the field of Probabilistic Seismic Hazard
Analysis in 1968.
in 1938. He received his A.B. in architecture in 1960 and M.S. and Ph.D. in civil engineering in 1961 and 1964 respectively, all at Stanford University
. He held a professorship at the MIT
from 1964 to 1983, and in 1983 became a Research Professor at Stanford University. He was awarded the Moisseiff Award (1977), two Norman Medals (1983, 2003), and the Fruedenthal Medal (1988) from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE
). He also received the Harry Fielding Reid Medal of the Seismological Society of America (SSA
) in 2001, and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI
) Housner Medal in 2003. He was a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union
(2002) and Member of the National Academy of Engineering
(1981). His wife is Dr. Elisabeth Paté-Cornell
, currently (2009) chair of Stanford’s Department of Management Science and Engineering, and one of his five children is Eric Allin Cornell
Nobel Laureate in Physics.
He is best known for his 1968 seminal paper "Engineering Seismic Risk Analysis" that started the field of Probabilistic Seismic Hazard analysis (PSHA), his work in reliability especially on second-moment methods and reliability-based code calibration, and his development of the probabilistic framework for performance-based earthquake engineering
that became the unifying equation of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center. His 1971 book, Probability, Statistics,
and Decision for Civil Engineers (coauthored with Jack Benjamin), exposed an entire generation of civil and structural engineering students to the field of probabilistic modeling and decision analysis
, and remains a standard reference for students and researchers to this day.
As of 2011, the International Civil Engineering Risk and Reliability Association (CERRA) has renamed its quadrennial scientific recognition award as the C. Allin Cornell Award, in honor of its first recipient.
Reliability theory
Reliability theory describes the probability of a system completing its expected function during an interval of time. It is the basis of reliability engineering, which is an area of study focused on optimizing the reliability, or probability of successful functioning, of systems, such as airplanes,...
and earthquake engineering
Earthquake engineering
Earthquake engineering is the scientific field concerned with protecting society, the natural and the man-made environment from earthquakes by limiting the seismic risk to socio-economically acceptable levels...
and, along with Dr. Luis Esteva, developed the field of Probabilistic Seismic Hazard
Seismic hazard
Seismic hazard refers to the study of expected earthquake ground motions at the earth's surface, and its likely effects on existing natural conditions and man-made structures for public safety considerations; the results of such studies are published as seismic hazard maps, which identify the...
Analysis in 1968.
Biography
Cornell was born in Mobridge, South DakotaMobridge, South Dakota
Mobridge is a city in Walworth County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 3,465 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Mobridge is located at ....
in 1938. He received his A.B. in architecture in 1960 and M.S. and Ph.D. in civil engineering in 1961 and 1964 respectively, all at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He held a professorship at the MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
from 1964 to 1983, and in 1983 became a Research Professor at Stanford University. He was awarded the Moisseiff Award (1977), two Norman Medals (1983, 2003), and the Fruedenthal Medal (1988) from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
). He also received the Harry Fielding Reid Medal of the Seismological Society of America (SSA
Seismological Society of America
The Seismological Society of America is an international society devoted to the advancement of seismology and its applications in understanding and mitigating earthquake hazards and in imaging the structure of the Earth....
) in 2001, and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute is a leading technical society in dissemination of earthquake risk and earthquake engineering research both in the U.S. and globally. EERI members include researchers, geologists, geotechnical engineers, educators, government officials, and building...
) Housner Medal in 2003. He was a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union
American Geophysical Union
The American Geophysical Union is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting of over 50,000 members from over 135 countries. AGU's activities are focused on the organization and dissemination of scientific information in the interdisciplinary and international field of geophysics...
(2002) and Member of the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
(1981). His wife is Dr. Elisabeth Paté-Cornell
Elisabeth Pate-Cornell
Dr. M. Elisabeth Paté-Cornell, a specialist in engineering risk analysis, is professor of management science at Stanford University.She was born in 1948 in Dakar, Senegal...
, currently (2009) chair of Stanford’s Department of Management Science and Engineering, and one of his five children is Eric Allin Cornell
Eric Allin Cornell
Eric Allin Cornell is an American physicist who, along with Carl E. Wieman, was able to synthesize the first Bose–Einstein condensate in 1995...
Nobel Laureate in Physics.
He is best known for his 1968 seminal paper "Engineering Seismic Risk Analysis" that started the field of Probabilistic Seismic Hazard analysis (PSHA), his work in reliability especially on second-moment methods and reliability-based code calibration, and his development of the probabilistic framework for performance-based earthquake engineering
Earthquake engineering
Earthquake engineering is the scientific field concerned with protecting society, the natural and the man-made environment from earthquakes by limiting the seismic risk to socio-economically acceptable levels...
that became the unifying equation of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center. His 1971 book, Probability, Statistics,
and Decision for Civil Engineers (coauthored with Jack Benjamin), exposed an entire generation of civil and structural engineering students to the field of probabilistic modeling and decision analysis
Decision analysis
Decision analysis is the discipline comprising the philosophy, theory, methodology, and professional practice necessary to address important decisions in a formal manner...
, and remains a standard reference for students and researchers to this day.
As of 2011, the International Civil Engineering Risk and Reliability Association (CERRA) has renamed its quadrennial scientific recognition award as the C. Allin Cornell Award, in honor of its first recipient.
External links
- Obituary from the Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
News Service - Obituary from the EERI Newsletter