A man who is saving the world: Kit Miyamoto

Press Release: September 2, 2011 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (September 2, 2011) — Kit Miyamoto, a Japanese-born structural engineer of global fame, has built a premier earthquake engineering firm with one simple mission: Make the world a better place. Miyamoto is the CEO of Miyamoto International, a West Coast-based global earthquake and structural engineering firm driven by mission. Last year he also launched a non-profit called Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief, a non-profit technical organization that supports disaster mitigation response, relief, and reconstruction efforts. Myamoto is profiled in the September issue of Structural Engineer. Calling himself a “cultural anthropologist,” Miyamoto believes that cultural immersion is essential to understanding local building performance issues. “You need to put yourself in their shoes first – eat with them, live with them. See how a building works in context,” he said. “Then you can determine what needs to be done and, in turn, they are more receptive.” Miyamoto International and Global Risk Miyamoto has 12 offices around the world, and has been called upon over the last three years to help with structural engineering needs after major earthquakes in China, Christchurch, New Zealand, Haiti and Japan. Miyamoto is currently an expert consultant to the World Bank on the seismic risk mitigation project for 2,000 schools in Istanbul. His work with the government of Haiti and the United Nations to conduct assessments on more than 400,000 earthquake-damaged structures led him to be quoted in an August 4 article in Rolling Stone. To view Kit Miyamoto’s profile or learn more about Structural Engineer visit www.gostructural.com Press Contact: Christina Zweig christinaz@zweigwhite.com www.zweigwhite.com