University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Engineering Professor Ian Robertson has been selected as the inaugural Arthur N.L. Chiu Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The endowment is in the memory of Chiu, a legendary leader in the Hawaiʻi engineering community. He began his lifelong service to the engineering community in 1953 as an instructor at UH Mānoa and went on to serve in multiple leadership positions at the university.
Robertson, recognized nationally for his contributions to tsunami design, is also a leader in Hawaiʻi’s engineering community for his expertise in hazard mitigation and structural engineering solutions. Like Chiu, he is known for excellence in teaching, research and service.
In his 25 years at UH Mānoa, Robertson has received seven teaching awards; advised more than 85 graduate students; published more than 130 chapters, journal articles and conference proceedings; made more than 160 research presentations around the world and served on the Hawaiʻi State Earthquake and Tsunami Advisory Committee and the Hawaiʻi Wind Impacts Advisory Committee. Those committees advise the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency on hazard mitigation and preparedness.
Robertson’s recent research has focused on tsunami loading on coastal structures, and the structural design required to resist those loads. He led a large National Science Foundation funded research project to study tsunami loading using laboratory flumes at UH and Oregon State University.
“A prolific scholar, a passionate educator and a creative practicing engineer, Ian has been sought after by students and highly respected by his peers and the local community,” said College of Engineering Interim Associate Dean David T. Ma. “It is very fitting that he has received the first Chiu Distinguished Professorship.”
More about Robertson
His early research focused on earthquake resistance of flat-slab reinforced concrete buildings, which are ubiquitous in Hawaiʻi. He was in charge of the design and construction of a wind-borne debris cannon for testing windows, doors and exterior wall systems for hurricane blown debris. This project resulted in simplified specifications for Hawaiʻi safe-rooms to resist hurricane winds and debris loads and recognition by the Hawaiʻi State Civil Defense.
Robertson has also performed post-tsunami surveys of damage after the Samoa (2009), Chile (2010) and Japan (2011) tsunami. These research efforts were instrumental in the development of the first United States tsunami design provisions, which will be included in the 2018 International Building Code. He was recognized by the Engineering News Record as one of the Top 25 Newsmakers of 2016 as a result of this contribution.
He has also served as president of the Structural Engineers’ Association of Hawaiʻi in 2008, and has served on numerous national technical committees.
