Ben Mason

Ben Mason is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno (joined January 2025). Previously, he held faculty positions at Oregon State University's College of Engineering and conducted research at the U.S. Geological Survey's Geologic Hazards Science Center in Golden, Colorado. He holds a Professional Engineer certification (State of Colorado).

Education:

• Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 2011
• M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 2007
• B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 2006

Research Focus: Mason's work centers on geological earthquake engineering, cascading hazards (e.g., earthquake-tsunami interactions), coastal geotechnics, and post-disaster field reconnaissance. He has conducted extensive studies on fault displacement uncertainty, anthropogenic impacts on ground failure, and sediment instability during tsunami events. His recent projects include analyses of the 2023 Türkiye earthquakes (Pazarcık and Kahramanmaraş) and the 2022 Chihshang earthquake in Taiwan.

Publications Trends: His recent articles emphasize advanced modeling techniques for seismic hazards, integration of field observations with theoretical frameworks, and contributions to building code improvements. He frequently collaborates on multi-hazard studies involving tsunami and earthquake interactions, particularly focusing on soil dynamics and liquefaction mechanisms in coastal regions.

Grants & Advising: No specific grants or advisee information is provided in the text. However, his involvement with the GEER team (Geo-engineering Extreme Events Reconnaissance) indicates active participation in disaster-response research initiatives.

Labs/Teams: Participates in the GEER team for post-disaster geotechnical investigations and collaborates with research groups studying seismic risks and coastal infrastructure resilience. His work leverages centrifuge modeling facilities and state-of-the-art geophysical analysis tools.