Dr. Morgan is a recognized expert in the field of seismic isolation and passive energy dissipation systems. He has performed extensive research on the numerical simulation and experimental behavior of innovative seismic protective devices and optimization of their use within performance-based engineering frameworks. Dr. Morgan has served as a consultant to many engineering firms, assisting with the design of essential structures including healthcare facilities, laboratories, industrial buildings, and critical infrastructure requiring sophisticated analysis techniques and the applications of advanced seismic protective systems. He also has consulting experience with the nuclear power generating industry, evaluating seismic risk to existing critical equipment through ground motion selection/scaling and nonlinear structural analysis including soil-structure interaction.
Prior to joining NYU, Dr. Morgan was Assistant Professor at the Center for Urban Earthquake Engineering at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan. He has taught courses at the University of California, Berkeley, and San Francisco State University. He has also held positions as a post-doctoral researcher at the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center and as a design engineer at Forell/Elsesser Engineers Inc.
Dr. Morgan is a licensed Professional Engineer in California, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
University of California, Berkeley 2007
Ph.D., Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Materials
University of California, Berkeley 2000
M.Eng., Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Materials
University of California, Berkeley 1998
B.S., Civil Engineering
Exponent, Inc.
Managing Engineer
From: April 2012 to present
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Assistant Professor
From: June 2009 to April 2012
University of California, Berkeley
Lecturer/Postdoctoral Researcher
From: January 2008 to June 2009
Forell/Elsesser Engineers, Inc.
Design Engineer
From: September 2000 to August 2004
Journal Articles
Kasai K, Mita A, Kitamura H, Matsuda K, Morgan TA, Taylor AW. Performance of seismic protection technologies during the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. Earthquake Spectra 2013; 29(S1): S265-S293.
Morgan TA, Mahin SA. Achieving reliable seismic performance enhancement using multi-stage friction pendulum isolators. Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics 2010; 39(13):1443–1461.
Morgan TA, Mahin SA. Performance-based design of seismic isolated buildings considering multiple performance objectives. International Journal of Smart Structures and Systems 2008, 4(5):655–666.
Other Publications
Morgan TA, McDonald, BM. Design for uniform risk to standardized nuclear power plants using seismic isolation. Transactions, Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology (SMiRT-22), San Francisco, CA, 2013.
Morgan TA. A reliability-based bounding analysis methodology for seismic isolated nuclear power plants. Proceedings, 11th International Conference on Structural Safety and Reliability, New York, NY, 2013.
Morgan TA, McDonald, BM. Design for uniform risk to standardized nuclear power plants using seismic isolation. Proceedings, 10th CUEE Conference, Tokyo, Japan, 2013.
Morgan TA. Earthquake hazard, exposure, and risk in the Central and Eastern U.S. Structural Engineer, ZweigWhite, November 2012.
Chimamphant S, Kasai K, Morgan T. Continued functionality performance for base isolated structures subjected to earthquakes. Proceedings, 15th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Lisbon, Portugal, 2012.
Thiravechyan P, Kasai K, Morgan T. Response of base isolated structures considering inelastic behavior of superstructure. Paper in Proceedings, 15th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Lisbon, Portugal, 2012.
Morgan TA. A reliability-based bounding analysis methodology for seismic isolated buildings. Proceedings, 9th International Conference on Urban Earthquake Engineering / 4th Asia Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Tokyo, Japan, 2012.
Chimamphant S, Kasai K, Morgan TA. Continued functionality performance for base isolated structures subjected to earthquakes. Proceedings, 9th International Conference on Urban Earthquake Engineering / 4th Asia Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Tokyo, Japan, 2012.
Morgan TA, Mahin, SA. The use of base isolation systems to achieve complex seismic performance objectives. Technical Report PEER 2011/06, Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 2011.
Morgan TA. Modern design procedures for seismic isolated buildings: An American perspective. Proceedings, 12th World Conference on Seismic Isolation, Energy Dissipation and Active Vibration Control of Structures, Sochi, Russia, 2011.
Morgan TA, Kasai K. Achieving enhanced seismic performance of tall buildings through base isolation. Proceedings, 3rd Asia-Pacific Young Researchers and Graduates Symposium, Taipei, Taiwan, 2011.
Morgan TA, Kasai K. Achieving enhanced seismic performance of tall buildings through base isolation. Proceedings, 8th CUEE Conference, Tokyo, Japan, 2011.
Thiravechyan P, Morgan TA, Kasai K. Pounding of base isolated structures considering inelastic behavior of superstructure. Proceedings, 8th CUEE Conference, Tokyo, Japan, 2011.
Thiravechyan P, Morgan TA, Kasai K. Studies on pounding of isolated buildings considering inelastic behavior of superstructure. Proceedings, 3rd Asia Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Bangkok, Thailand, 2010.
Morgan TA, Kasai K. Innovative Design approaches for base isolated high-rise buildings. Proceedings, 3rd Asia Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Bangkok, Thailand, 2010.
Ko E, Morgan TA, Bello M, Bailey R, Golesorkhi R, Lam L, Tong S. Base isolated structure—The New San Francisco General Hospital & Trauma Center. Proceedings, 9th U.S. National and 10th Canadian Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Toronto, Canada, 2010.
Morgan TA, Mahin SA. The use of seismic performance classifications in the optimization of base isolated buildings. Proceedings, 9th U.S. National and 10th Canadian Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Toronto, Canada, 2010.
Morgan TA, Kasai K. A methodology for the seismic design of tall buildings incorporating base isolation devices. Proceedings, 7th CUEE and 5th ICEE Joint Conference, Tokyo, Japan, 2010.
Morgan TA, Mahin SA. Achieving reliable performance enhancement using multi-stage friction pendulum bearings. Proceedings, JSSI 15th Anniversary International Symposium on Seismic Response Controlled Buildings for Sustainable Society, Tokyo, Japan, 2009.
Morgan TA, Mahin SA. The optimization of multi-stage friction pendulum isolators for loss mitigation considering a range of seismic hazard. Proceedings, 14th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Beijing, China, 2008.
Morgan TA, Mahin SA. Satisfying drift and acceleration criteria with multi-stage friction pendulum isolation systems. Proceedings, 18th Analysis and Computation Specialty Conference, ASCE Structural Engineering Institute, Vancouver, BC, 2008.
Prasad BK, Morgan TA, Wienskowski T. Near source fault effects on the performance of base-isolated hospital building vs. a BRBF hospital building. Proceedings, 79th SEAOC Convention, Kona, HI, 2008.
Sinclair KM, Wray G, Black CJ, Kelly JM, Mayes RL, Morgan TA, Ryan KR, Vignos R. Proposed reformulation of static lateral response procedure for simplified base isolation design. Proceedings, 78th SEAOC Convention, Lake Tahoe, CA, 2007.
Morgan TA, Prasad BK. Comparison of the seismic performance of a base-isolated hospital building versus BRBF hospital building considering near source effects. Proceedings, Structural Engineers World Congress, Bangalore, India, 2007.
Morgan TA, Mahin SA. Enhancing the performance capabilities of seismically isolated buildings using multi-stage friction pendulum sliding bearings. Proceedings, World Forum on Smart Materials and Smart Structures Technology, Chongquing and Nanjing, China, 2007.
Morgan TA, Mahin SA. Potential collaborative research on the design of seismic isolated buildings considering multiple performance objectives. Proceedings, US-Taiwan Workshop on Smart Structural Technology for Seismic Hazard Mitigation, Taipei, Taiwan, 2006.
Morgan TA, Mahin SA. Development of a design methodology for seismic isolated buildings considering a range of performance objectives. Proceedings, 4th International Conference on Earthquake Engineering, NCREE, Taipei, Taiwan, 2006.
Ryan KL, Morgan TA, Sayani, P. Consistent performance comparison of seismic-isolated and fixed-base buildings. Proceedings, 8th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering, EERI, San Francisco, CA, 2006.
Naaseh S, Morgan TA, Walters MT. Future direction for base isolation design provisions. Proceedings, 75th SEAOC Convention, Monterey, CA, 2004.
Morgan TA, Walters MT. Innovative approaches to performance-based seismic rehabilitation of concrete buildings. Proceedings, 5th U.S.-Japan Workshop on Performance-Based Engineering for Reinforced Concrete Building Structures, Hakone, Japan, 2003.
Naaseh S, Morgan TA, Walters MT. A critical evaluation of current U.S. Building Code Provisions and FEMA Regulations for the Design of Seismically Isolated Structures. Proceedings, ATC 17-2 Seminar on Seismic Isolation, Passive Energy Dissipation and Active Control, Applied Technology Council, Los Angeles, CA, 2002.
Morgan TA, Whittaker AS. Cyclic behavior of high-damping rubber bearings. Proceedings, 5th World Congress on Joints, Bearings, and Seismic Systems for Concrete Structures, Rome, Italy, 2001.
Naaseh S, Morgan TA, Walters MT. A critical evaluation of current U.S. Building Code Provisions for the Design of Seismically Isolated Structures. Proceedings, 7th International Seminar on Seismic Isolation, Passive Energy Dissipation and Active Control of Vibrations of Structures, Assisi, Italy, 2001.
EERI/FEMA NEHRP Graduate Fellowship in Earthquake Hazard Reduction, 2005
Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, UC Berkeley, 2004
SEAONC Excellence in Structural Engineering Award 2004
ASCE Western Regional Outstanding Young Civil Engineer in the Private Sector, 2003
SEAONC Giles Scholarship, 2003
Best Paper Award: 5th World Congress on Joints, Bearings, and Seismic Systems, 2001
NSF Japan Summer Institute, 2000
Clement T. Wiskocil Award, UC Berkeley, 1998
