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Haresh C. Shah

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Dr.
Haresh C. Shah
Born(1937-08-07)August 7, 1937
Godhra, Gujarat, India
EducationUniversity of Pune, BS
Stanford University, MS and PhD
SpouseJoan Dersjant Shah
ChildrenHemant H. Shah, Mihir H. Shah
ParentChandulal & Ramangauri Shah
Engineering career
Disciplinestructural engineering, earthquake engineering
Practice nameRisk Management Solutions (RMS)
Employer(s)Department of Civil Engineering, Stanford University
AwardsAlfred E. Alquist Special Recognition Medal[1]
George W. Housner Medal[2]


Haresh C. Shah (born 1937) is an Indian-born, American earthquake engineer and the Obayashi Professor of Engineering (Emeritus) at Stanford University. As a civil engineering professor, he and his students performed pioneering research in probabilistic methods and the development of seismic hazard and risk models. Subsequent research and development in the area of catastrophe risk modeling led to the founding of Risk Management Solutions (RMS), which was acquired by Moody's in 2021.[3] Shah and James M. Gere were the founding Co-Directors of the John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center at Stanford. Shah has established numerous philanthropic foundations and has funded numerous prizes to foster innovation and foundations to support the needy

Early life and education

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Haresh Chandulal Shah was born in 1937 in Godhra in the state of Gujarat, India as the youngest of six children, and grew up in Pune, in the state of Maharashtra. He attended G. K. H. Mandal School, and then Dastur High School. He earned in Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the College of Engineering at University of Pune in 1959.

On August 9, 1959, he boarded the SS Strathnaver of the P&O Line in Bombay to travel the United States to attend Stanford University. There he earned a Master of Science in Civil Engineering in 1959 and Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (1963) under the direction of Professor Jack R. Benjamin.[4] His dissertation research applied probabilistic methods to evaluating the ultimate strength of reinforced concrete columns.[5]

Academic career

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University of Pennsylvania

Shah's first academic position was as an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at University of Pennsylvania. While at University of Pennsylvania (1962-1968) his research included the applications of probabilistic methods to aircraft reliability[6], to concrete creep[7], and to dynamically loaded columns[8] and plates[9].

Stanford University

In September 1968, Shah returned to Stanford as an associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, where he remained until his retirement in 1997. At Stanford, Shah focused his research on earthquake engineering, in particular, using probabilistic methods to explore earthquake damage and loss.[10]

Early projects included seismic hazard maps of Nicaragua[11][12], Guatemala[13], Costa Rica[14], and Honduras[15]. He and his students also performed seismic risk analysis for the California State Water Project.[16][17]

John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center

With an endowment from John A. Blume and additional support from the university, Haresh Shah and James M. Gere cofounded the John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center in 1974 and served as codirectors until 1985. The goals of the center were to:

  • Promote research in earthquake engineering
  • Develop and expand the educational program at Stanford in earthquake engineering
  • Propagate knowledge about earthquakes and their effects, including the transfer of research findings to society in general and the engineering profession in particular.

The inaugural symposium was held on September 17, 1976, and the 50th Anniversary Symposium was held May 9, 2025.

Seismic hazard methodology

Numerous students were performing research on different aspects of seismic hazard and seismic risk such as earthquake occurrence models, ground motion modeling, site dependent response spectra, stochastic loading, structural risk evaluation, lifeline systems, and public policy. Much of this research came together in 1979 with the development of STASHA, Computer Programs for Seismic Hazard Analysis.[18] Over the years, the seismic hazard methodology evolved and in the 1980s was applied to insurance risk.[19]

Department chair

Shah served as chair of the Civil Engineering Department from 1985 to 1994. During this time he was involved in the development of the Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE), which "promotes multidisciplinary approaches and thinking in the planning, design, construction, operation, and management of the built environment." In collaboration with James F. Gibbons, Dean of Engineering, Shah was instrumental in raising funds for two endowed chairs, the Obayashi Professorship and the Kumagai Professorship.

Risk Management Solutions

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The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake put a spotlight on earthquake insurance and the need to better understand earthquake insurance exposure.[20] With the support of the Stanford Office of Technology Licensing, Haresh Shah, his son Hemant Shah, and a former PhD student Weimin Dong found Risk Management Software (which later became Risk Management Solutions (RMS)) in 1989. RMS performed catastrophe modeling (earthquake, flood, hurricanes) for the insurance and reinsurance markets.

RMS grew to a global company with more than 12,000 employees and offices in Palo Alto, Chicago, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, London, Paris, Munich, Zurich, Delhi, Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo, Sydney, and Auckland.[21] RMS was acquired by Moody's in 2021.[3]

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore

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In 2002, Shah was asked by [S. R. Nathan], President of Singapore to come to Singapore and help modernize and increase research at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore. Shah served as Senior Academic Advisor (2003-2005) to Su Guaning, President of NTU and then another 12 years working on initiatives, such as the development of the Institute of Catastrophe Risk Management (ICRM) in 2010 and the development of the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) in 2008. The transformation of the university is documented in Troika! The Remarkable Ascent of a Great Global University, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 2003–2017.[22] In recognition of Shah's contributions the government of Singapore awarded him the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat in 2014, and NTU awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2015.

Philanthropy

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Shah has established several foundations and awards that support a range of people and causes.

The Emelie Foundation was established in 2016 in memory of Shah's parents Chandulal M. Shah, Raman Gauri C. Shah, and sister Induben C. Shah. The foundation is named after the children's clothing shop that Chandulal Shah owned. The foundation's mission is to increase educational opportunities for single mothers and their daughters by providing financial support for their schooling.

The Shah Family Foundation provides support for a variety of educational and social needs. Projects include providing desks and computers for rural schools, and building a school in the village of Milethi.

The Shah Family Innovation Prize, administered by EERI, recognizes "younger professionals and academics for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit in the field of earthquake risk mitigation and management."

The Stanford Shah Family Fund (established 1995) provides "fellowships for students in civil engineering; an annual prize for an outstanding staff member in the School of Engineering; and an annual distinguished lecture on catastrophic risk management and related subjects."

The NTU Shah Family Prize recognizes students for their innovation and entrepreneurial potential.

Asia Risk Transfer Solutions (ARTS) provided subsidies to farmers for crop failure; however, it was closed in 2024.

Professional contributions and awards

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  • Consortium of Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering (CUREE), President 1992-1993
  • World Seismic Safety Initiative, Cofounder and member of Executive Committee 1992-2009[23]
  • John S. Bickley Gold Medal for Excellence Award from the International Insurance Society (2000)
  • Named as the “Top Seismic Engineer of the 20th Century” by the Applied Technology Council/Engineering News Record (2006)
  • Alfred E. Alquist Special Recognition Medal (2011) [24]
  • George W. Housner Medal (2013) [25]
  • Earthquake Engineering Research Institute Honorary Member [26]
  • Public Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat), Singapore for his contributions to the Ministry of Education (2014)
  • “Bharat Gaurav” award by the India International Friendship Society (IIFS) (2014)
  • Honorary Doctor of Letters from Symbiosis International University, Pune, India (2014)
  • Honorary Doctor of Letters from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (2015)[27]
  • “Mahatma Gandhi Ekta Samman” by the India International Friendship Society (2016)

References

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General
  • Haresh C. Shah, Connections: The EERI Oral History Series,[28] Thalia Anagnos and Roger D. Borcherdt, Interviewers, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, Oakland, CA, 2025. ISBN 978-0-943198-56-9.
Specific
  1. ^ "The Alfred E. Alquist Special Recognition Medal". www.eeri.org.
  2. ^ "George W. Housner Medal". www.eeri.org.
  3. ^ a b "Moody's to Acquire RMS, Leader in Climate & Natural Disaster Risk". Moodys. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  4. ^ Haresh C. Shah, Connections: The EERI Oral History Series. Oakland, California: Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. 2025. pp. 1–7.
  5. ^ Shah, Haresh C. (1962). Application of Regression Analysis for Predicting Ultimate Strength of Reinforced Concrete Columns. Department of Civil Engineering, Stanford University.
  6. ^ Shah, Haresh C. (1967). Principle of Entropy and Its Application in Reliability Estimation of Aircraft Structures. 8th Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference. AIAA. doi:10.2514/6.1967-1134.
  7. ^ Shah, Haresh C.; Chow, T.Y. (1967). Study of Creep in Concrete by Statistical and Probability Models (PDF). Fall Convention of the American Concrete Institute (pdf). ACI, Des Moines, IA.
  8. ^ Lepore, John A.; Shah, Haresh C. (1970). "Dynamic Stability of Axially Loaded Columns Subjected to Stochastic Excitations". Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. 6 (8). doi:10.2514/3.4798.
  9. ^ Lepore, John A.; Shah, Haresh C. (1970). "Dynamic Stability of Circular Plates Under Stochastic Excitations". Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. 7 (5). doi:10.2514/3.29994.
  10. ^ Haresh C. Shah, Connections: The EERI Oral History Series. Oakland, California: Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. 2025. pp. 27–41.
  11. ^ Shah, H.C.; Mortgat, C.P.; Kiremidjian, A.; Zsutty, T.C. (1975), A Study of Seismic Risk for Nicaragua, Part 1, John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center Technical Report 11, Stanford University
  12. ^ Shah, H.C.; Zsutty, T.C.; Krawlinker, H.; Mortgat, C.P.; Kiremidjian, A.; Dizon, J.O. (1976), A Study of Seismic Risk for Nicaragua, Part 2, John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center Technical Report 12, Stanford University
  13. ^ Kiremidjian, A.; Shah, H.C.; Lubetkin, L. (1977), Seismic Hazard Mapping for Guatemala, John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center Technical Report 26, Stanford University
  14. ^ Mortgat, C.P.; Zsutty, T.C.; Shah, H.C.; Lubetkin, L. (1977), A Study of Seismic Risk for Costa Rica, John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center Technical Report 25, Stanford University
  15. ^ Kiremidjian, A.; Sutch, P.; Shah, H.C. (1979), Seismic Hazard Analysis of Honduras, John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center Technical Report 38, Stanford University
  16. ^ Kiremidjian, A.; Shah, H.C. (1978), Seismic Risk Analysis for California State Water Project, John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center Technical Report 33, Stanford University
  17. ^ Kircher, C.A.; Delfosse, G.C.; Schoof, C.C.; Khemici, O.; Shah, H.C. (1979), Performance of a 230 KV ATB 7 Power Circuit Breaker Mounted on GAPEC Seismic Isolators, John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center Technical Report 40, Stanford University
  18. ^ Guidi, G.A. (1979), Computer Programs for Seismic Hazard Analysis — A User Manual (Stanford Seismic Hazard Analysis — STASHA), John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center Technical Report 36, Stanford University
  19. ^ Dong, W.; Kim, J.E.; Wong, F.S.; Shah, H.C. (1988), A Knowledge-Based Seismic Risk Evaluation System for the Insurance and Investment Industries (IRAS), Center for Integrated Facility Engineering Technical Report 5, Stanford University
  20. ^ Loma Prieta's Call to Action: Report on the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989. Paper 192. Sacramento, California: Seismic Safety Commission of California. 1991.
  21. ^ Haresh C. Shah, Connections: The EERI Oral History Series. Oakland, California: Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. 2025. pp. 43–52.
  22. ^ Andersson, B.; Shah, H.C.; Su, G.; Mayer, T. Troika! The Remarkable Ascent of a Great Global University, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 2003–2017. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Company.
  23. ^ Katayama, Tsuneo (2000). WSSI-An IAEE's Undertaking for IDNDR (PDF). 12th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering. New Zealand: IAEE.
  24. ^ "EERI Alfred E. Alquist Special Recognition Medal Recipients". www.eeri.org.
  25. ^ "EERI George W. Housner Medal Recipients". www.eeri.org.
  26. ^ "EERI Honorary Members". www.eeri.org.
  27. ^ "Haresh C. Shah Honored in Singapore". blume.stanford.edu.
  28. ^ "Oral History Series". www.eeri.org.
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