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Kit Miyamoto in an earthquake zone in Ecuador earlier this year.
High magnitude Earthquake engineer Kit Miyamoto travels the world to dispense knowledge and training to those who need it most – those who have lost it all.
By RICHARD MASSEY Managing Editor
recognized for this kind of thing.” Miyamoto is an intrepid engineer who routine- ly risks his health, and even his life, to bring in- valuable experience and insights to communities – many of them in remote areas of developing coun- tries – reeling from devastation. “They usually need direction and the confidence to recover and rebuild,” Mimayato says. “After an earthquake, you lose everything. We know what works and what doesn’t, and how the public sec- tor should coordinate with the commercial sector.” For instance, in the aftermath of this year’s earth- quake in Ecuador, a resident thought his house was ruined, but upon inspection, it was deemed sal- vageable. “One little crack does not mean you have to tear the building down,” Miyamoto says.
G lobetrotting structural engineer Kit Miyamo- to, one of the world’s preeminent consultants in seismic risk mitigation, and his firm recently re- ceived a Presidential “E” Award for Exports from the United States Department of Commerce. Miyamoto International , one of 73 compa- nies to receive the honor, was recognized for its global approach to life-saving technical knowl- edge and training in construction practices. The Miyamoto firm, based in California, specializes in disaster mitigation, response, and reconstruction, as it applies to earthquakes. In addition to its U.S. offices, Miyamoto has locations in Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. “I was surprised,” Miyamoto says. “I know it’s rare for the industry [structural engineering] to be
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