Julio Ramirez

Dr. Julio A. Ramirez serves as the Karl H. Kettelhut Professor of Civil Engineering at Purdue University's Lyles School of Civil Engineering, where he has built an extraordinary career spanning over four decades since 1983. His academic journey began at Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico for his BS, followed by an MS from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. As Principal Investigator and Center Director of the NSF-funded Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) Network Coordination Office, he has led transformative initiatives in earthquake engineering research, including directing the $105 million George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation from 2009 to 2014. His expertise in structural engineering, particularly in reinforced and prestressed concrete structures, has significantly influenced building codes and design practices. His extensive field experience includes eight earthquake reconnaissance missions across the globe, from Northridge to Bingol, gathering crucial data on infrastructure performance during seismic events. A Fellow of the American Concrete Institute and recipient of numerous awards including the Delmar Bloem Award and Joe W. Kelly Award, he has contributed to over 400 multi-year research projects and serves on key technical committees. His research on bond strength in high-strength concrete has been incorporated into AASHTO LRFD Specifications, while his leadership in establishing emergency response protocols and training programs for post-disaster building assessment continues to shape disaster preparedness strategies.