Earthquake engineer receives Charles Bubb Medal

Professor Nelson Lam has been awarded the Charles Bubb Medal by the Australian Earthquake Engineering Society (AEES), a technical society affiliated with Engineers Australia, recognising his contributions to earthquake engineering at the Annual Dinner in late November.

Professor Lam leads the Structures and Buildings Group in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology’s Department of Infrastructure Engineering.

Professor Lam, who has over 40 years of experience in structural engineering, specialises in earthquake engineering, impact engineering and structural dynamics.

His contributions include serving on Engineers Australia's structural college board, as chief editor of the Australian Journal of Structural Engineering, and on the committee for revisions to the Australian seismic actions standard. He is also an international advisor to the Hong Kong SAR Government on landslide and rockfall protection designs.

“I am honoured to receive the Charles Bubb Medal. It is a privilege to contribute to a field that has such a profound impact on safety and infrastructure resilience,” Professor Lam said.

The Charles Bubb Medal honours individuals who have significantly advanced earthquake engineering in Australia and commemorates Charles Bubb’s pivotal role in shaping national standards like the 1979 Australian Earthquake Code.

Former recipients include Kevin McCue (AEES Co-Founder) in 2015, Emeritus Professor Mike Griffith in 2017, Distinguished Professor Hong Hao in 2019 and Emeritus Professor John Wilson in 2022.