Melanie Walling

Experience

1. Chief Earthquake Hazards Engineer

   GFT

   Sep 2024 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

   Leading seismic risk assessment and resilience strategy for critical infrastructure projects. Spearheading innovative approaches to earthquake hazard mitigation while providing technical leadership to a multidisciplinary team of engineers and scientists.Key Responsibilities:Direct comprehensive earthquake hazard assessment programs using advanced probabilistic and deterministic methodologiesLead seismic risk analyses for high-priority infrastructure projects, ensuring compliance with latest safety standards and codesOversee development and implementation of cutting-edge earthquake monitoring systemsProvide expert consultation on ground motion prediction and site response analysisMentor engineering team members and advance organizational capabilities in seismic engineeringLeadership & RecognitionCurrent Chair of the United States Society of Dams (USSD) Earthquake CommitteeActive member of the Building Code Seismic Safety Council (BSSC)- Ground Motions Issue Team 3Winner of the 2025 GFT (Gannett Fleming Transystems) Innovation Challenge Summit for developing hazard-consistent seismic scenario ground-motion maps.Notable ProjectDeveloped innovative hazard-consistent seismic scenario ground-motion maps that enable comprehensive risk-assessment of distributed infrastructure across multiple asset types. These maps significantly enhance our ability to evaluate seismic vulnerability and can be utilized to develop simplified landslide and liquefaction maps, improving overall infrastructure resilience planning.