Jay Harris is the Acting Director of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Office at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). As the lead agency, NIST is responsible for planning and coordinating NEHRP.
NIST also conducts and supports earthquake engineering research and development. Harris’s research interests include performance-based seismic engineering, seismic design of structural systems, alternative seismic engineering philosophies, structural steel structures, base isolation, and development of building code seismic provisions. While a practicing structural engineer, he specializes in analysis and design of tall buildings for wind and earthquake effects. He is a member of the ASCE 7 Seismic Subcommittee and ASCE 41 Committee as well as a host of seismic committees across numerous organizations.