Special issue in memory of Nicholas Ambraseys

Nicholas (Nick) Ambraseys was born in Athens (Greece) on 19th January 1929 and died peacefully at his home in Putney (London, United Kingdom) on 28th December 2012 at the age of 83. Nick attended the National Technical University of Athens, receiving his diploma in Rural Engineering in 1952. Following this and service in the Royal Hellenic Navy, he moved to Imperial College in London to study in the Soil Mechanics section of the Department of Civil Engineering for his Diploma of Imperial College and later his PhD, which he was awarded in 1958. Following a few years at universities in Greece and in the United States of America he returned to Imperial College and remained there until his death. He was made Professor of Engineering Seismology in 1974. In 1968 he established the Engineering Seismology section in the Department of Civil Engineering and from 1971 to 1994 he led this section. In 1994 he officially retired but he remained very active as an Emeritus Professor and his publications continued at an undiminished rate. Nick’s contributions to engineering seismology and earthquake engineering were immense, wide-ranging and spanned almost 60years.