Helmut Krawinkler
Austrian-born American structural engineer (1940–2012)
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Helmut Krawinkler (April 6, 1940 – April 16, 2012) was an Austrian-born American structural engineer.
California State University San Jose
University of California, Berkeley
Helmut Krawinkler | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 April 1940 |
| Died | 16 April 2012 (aged 72) |
| Alma mater | Vienna University of Technology California State University San Jose University of California, Berkeley |
| Known for | Performance-based earthquake engineering |
| Awards | Honorary member of the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) (2004) SEAONC College of Fellows (2003) G.W. Housner Medal (2012) National Academy of Engineering (2012) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Earthquake engineering |
| Institutions | Stanford University |
| Doctoral advisor | Vitelmo V. Bertero |
Krawinkler was a native of Innsbruck, Austria, born on April 6, 1940.[1] He earned an undergraduate degree from the Vienna University of Technology in 1964.[2] Krawinkler then earned an MS Civil Engineering with an emphasis in structural engineering at San Jose State University, funded by a Fulbright Scholarship between 1965 and 1967.[3] In 1971, he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a doctorate and became an assistant research engineer at Berkeley. After a year as lecturer at San Jose State University, Krawinkler joined the Stanford University faculty in 1973.[3][4]
He directed the Blume Earthquake Engineering Center from 1985 to 1995.[5] He was appointed John A. Blume Professor within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 1991.[6] Krawinkler was granted emeritus status in 2007.[7] He was elected to the United States National Academy of Engineering in 2012 "for development of performance-based earthquake engineering procedures for evaluating and rehabilitating buildings."[8]
That same year, Krawinkler was diagnosed with a brain tumor that necessitated surgery performed in February 2012.[4] He died in Palo Alto, California, on April 16, 2012, while seeking further treatment.[1][4]