Tsunami-safety panel to oversee construction of Marine Studies building, student housing, Oct. 25

Oregon State University President Ed Ray announced Monday, Oct. 24, the creation of an oversight committee to monitor construction of a Marine Studies Building and student housing in Newport, on the Central Oregon Coast.  “This committee will ensure that the design, engineering and construction of these buildings meet or exceed the earthquake and tsunami performance commitments the university has made to the public,” Ray said. Ray also charged the committee with ensuring that the buildings are operated with the highest level of safety and evacuation procedures, preparation and training. The committee’s charge is available online. The $50 million center for global marine studies research and education will be built at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. The 100,000-square-foot facility is an integral part of OSU’s ambitious Marine Studies Initiative, designed to educate students and conduct research on marine-related issues – from rising sea levels and ocean acidification to sustainable fisheries and economic stability. Housing to accommodate Oregon State students at the campus will be located near Oregon Coast Community College and located out of the tsunami zone. “Life safety for the occupants of these buildings, as well as the safety for all Hatfield Marine Science Center faculty, staff, students and visitors, is of the highest priority for OSU,” Ray said. Scott Ashford, dean of Oregon State’s College of Engineering, will chair the committee, which will report to interim Provost and Executive Vice President Ron Adams. The committee will be made up of eight university leaders and will be advised by two seismic and structural engineers, one of whom will be externally employed and independent of the university. Committee members include Michael Green, OSU interim vice president for finance and administration; Toni Doolen, dean of the university’s Honors College; Susie Brubaker-Cole, vice provost for Student Affairs; Jock Mills, government relations director; Steve Clark, vice president for University Relations and Marketing; and Roy Haggerty, associate vice president for research. OSU’s Office of General Counsel will serve in an advisory capacity. The committee will be advised by Chris D. Poland, an independent, third party seismic resilience structural engineer, who is a member of the National Academy of Engineering; and Dan Cox, an OSU professor in civil and construction engineering with expertise in coastal resilience and tsunami impacts. Ashford said the Marine Studies Building will meet or surpass the new “inundation zone” construction guidelines announced recently by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Faculty researchers within OSU’s College of Engineering and Oregon State’s O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory aided in the standards’ formation. In addition to design, engineering and construction matters, the committee will also oversee safety and evacuation planning, procedures and training for the Marine Studies Building, the HMSC campus and the student housing to be built in Newport.