Helen Crowley, secretary general of the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation, was recognized for her research contributions at the interface between earthquake engineering and seismology, which were acknowledged early on in her career, after she won the 2009 European Geosciences Union Plinius Medal for “outstanding contributions … in the neighbouring fields of structural engineering and engineering seismology.” Her research has touched on many topics related to seismic risk mitigation, from the definition of seismic actions for earthquake loss models and seismic design codes, to the development of regional exposure and vulnerability models for the built environment.
She has collaborated closely with both the engineering seismology and earthquake engineering communities in Europe, as a member of the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) Seismology Consortium, and as the coordinator of the development of the first open European Seismic Risk Model (ESRM20).
In her nomination and support for the award, Crowley’s colleagues noted her remarkable track record in collaborating with large teams and working with seismologists and geotechnical engineers to produce novel and effective risk assessment and risk mitigation solutions.