Citation on the award of NZSEE Fellow, April 2020
Pathmanathan Brabhaharan (Brabha) is a nationally recognised leader in geotechnical engineering and resilience who has worked in the field for over 35 years. He is National Technical Director for Geotechnical Engineering and Resilience for WSP in New Zealand and has led contributed to many of the most geotechnically complex infrastructure projects in New Zealand in this time.
Brabha has been a member of NZSEE for over 25 years and has contributed to the society in many ways in this time including:
- being a member of the NZSEE Management Committee from 2002 to 2012 and 2019 to 2020,
- organising the Annual NZSEE Conferences in 2006 and 2007, including the landmark conference Remembering Napier 1931 – Building on 75 Years of Earthquake Engineering in New Zealand,
- leading the sub-committee that was responsible for developing the role, position description, interviews and selection of executive officers to NZSEE,
- being part of two earthquake reconnaissance teams under the NZSEE Learning from Earthquake Initiative – 2008 Magnitude 8 Wenchuan, China and 2016 Magnitude 7.5 Kumamoto, Japan, and
- being an invited member of the NZSEE Bulletin Editorial Board, led by Les Meggett, that contributed to the development of recognition of the Bulletin.
Brabha was recognised in 2013 with the Freyssinet Award from Engineering NZ for his supreme contribution to the profession and industry.
