The Ivan Skinner Award is an annual award worth $15,000. It aims to advance the common interest of Toka Tū Ake EQC and the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) in promoting research that reduces the impacts of earthquakes on New Zealand communities.
People eligible to apply are:
- an earthquake engineering researcher who has already demonstrated high promise with early achievements
- an undergraduate student or individual holding other relevant qualifications, who shows exceptional promise in contributing to the field of earthquake engineering research
- someone employed in a role in which earthquake engineering research is relevant and undertaken.
Previous award winners
2025: Maxim Millen(external link)
2024: Ben Exton(external link)
2023: Dr Lucas Hogan
2022: Dr Shahab Ramhormozian(external link)
2021: Dr Ashkan Hashemi
2020: Najif Ismail
2019: Kaley Crawford-Flett
2018: Richard Henry and Timothy Sullivan
2017: Dmytro Dizhur
2015: Dr Liam Wotherspoon
2014: Dr Geoffrey Rodgers
2013: Dr Alessandro Palermo
2012: Dr Brendon Bradley
2010: Dr Quincy Ma
2008: Assoc Prof Misko Cubrinovski
2007: Assoc Prof Rajesh Dhakal
About Ivan Skinner
The award commemorates Dr Ivan Skinner, who conceived the idea of ‘base isolation’ to protect buildings and bridges during earthquakes. Ivan is best remembered for his work at the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research during the 1960s. From 1994-2006, he was Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake’s Research Director. Ivan was a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, a Fellow of NZSEE, and was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal in 1990.