Ken Hudson, Ph.D., P.G., E.I.T
Secretary, Treasurer, and Principal Geoscientist
Kenneth (Ken) Hudson is a specialist in geology, strong ground motions, and engineering seismology. He obtained a BS in Earth Science with emphases in geology and geophysics in 2016 and a MS in geophysics in 2017 from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Hudson began working in industry in 2017 and then began attending courses at the University of California, Los Angeles simultaneously in 2018 where he obtained a MS and PhD in Geotechnical Engineering in 2020 and 2023, respectively.
As a licensed Professional Geologist in the state of California, Dr. Hudson has worked on geologic, geotechnical, and seismic design aspects for high-rise buildings, rail transportation systems, hospitals, schools, and other public and private facilities in the greater Los Angeles Area and internationally. Dr. Hudson has extensive geologic field experience and expertise in large scale computational and statistical analyses for application in geologic and geotechnical problems.
Dr. Hudson is also currently conducting research in liquefaction at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Publications and Presentations
Archival Journals
Ulmer, K. J., K. S. Hudson, P. Zimmaro, J. P. Stewart, S. L. Kramer, and S. J. Brandenberg. 2025. "Liquefaction Triggering Model Based on Cyclic Laboratory Data." In review.
Carlton, B., K. J. Ulmer, S. J. Brandenberg, J. P. Stewart, S. L. Kramer, P. Zimmaro, and K. S. Hudson. 2025. "Evaluating the effects of overburden stress on soil liquefaction: insights from cyclic test data." In review.
Hudson, K. S., K. J. Ulmer, P. Zimmaro, S. L. Kramer, J. P. Stewart, and S. J. Brandenberg. 2024. "Relationship between Fines Content and Soil Behavior Type Index at Liquefaction Sites."Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 150 (5): 06024001. American Society of Civil Engineers.https://doi.org/10.1061/JGGEFK.GTENG-12146
Hudson, K.S., Ulmer, K.J., Zimmaro, P., Kramer, S.L., Stewart, J.P., Brandenberg, S.J. 2023. "Unsupervised Machine Learning for Detecting Soil Layer Boundaries from Cone Penetration Test Data",Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/eqe.3961
Christine A. Goulet, Yongfei Wang, Chukwuebuka C. Nweke, Bo‐xiang Tang, Pengfei Wang, Kenneth S. Hudson, Sean K. Ahdi, Xiaofeng Meng, Martin B. Hudson, Andrea Donnellan, Gregory A. Lyzenga, Scott J. Brandenberg, Jonathan P. Stewart, Timu Gallien, Maria A. Winters. 2021. "Comparison of Near‐Fault Displacement Interpretations from Field and Aerial Data for the M 6.5 and 7.1 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence Ruptures."Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America; doi:https://doi.org/10.1785/0120200222
Yong, A., E. Cochran, J. Andrews, A. Martin, K.S. Hudson, Y. Ellen, J. Herrick, and J. Dozal. 2020. "VS30 and fd As Station ML Adjustments (dML) in California"Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.https://doi.org/10.1785/0120200130
Zimmaro, P., C.C. Nweke, J.L. Hernandez, K.S. Hudson, M.B. Hudson, S.K. Ahdi, M.L. Boggs, C.A. Davis, C.A. Goulet, S.J. Brandenberg, K.W. Hudnut, and J.P. Stewart. 2020. "Liquefaction and Related Ground Failure from July 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence"Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, Special Section: 2019 Ridgecrest, California, Earthquake Sequence.https://doi.org/10.1785/0120200025
Brandenberg, S. J., J. P. Stewart, P. Wang, C. C. Nweke, K.S. Hudson, C. A. Goulet, X. Meng, C. A. Davis, S. K. Ahdi, M. B. Hudson, A. Donnellan, G. Lyzenga, M. Pierce, J. Wang, M. A. Winters, M.-P. Delisle, J. Lucey, Y. Kim, T. W. Gallien, A. Lyda, J. S. Yeung, O. Issa, T. Buckreis, and Z. Yi. 2020. "Ground Deformation Data from GEER Investigations of Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence."Seismological Research Letters, 91 (4): 2024–2034.https://doi.org/10.1785/0220190291
Research Reports
Akin, I. D., J. C. Guerra, S. Zhange, A. Sahin, S. Tirkes, J. Stapleton, H. Nalge, D. Ali, F. Obidan, D. Jana, M. Fidansoy, T. Gallien, S. Narasimhan, S. J. Brandenberg, J. P. Stewart, D. Lindsay, D. Cavagnaro, N. Oakley, D. Cheung, A. Morelan, K. S. Hudson, M. B. Hudson, S. Moon, T. Horvath, A. Koutsoukos, D. Paige, C. Davis, M. Lamb, Z. Chen, E. Geyman, L. Lenian, and G. SInnett. 2025. "Reconnaissance of the Geotechnical and Infrastructure Impacts of Los Angeles Area Wildfires and Subsequent Storms." 89. GEER. Los Angeles, California: GEER Association.https://doi.org/10.18118/G6X37N
Ulmer, K. J., K. S. Hudson, S. J. Brandenberg, P. Zimmaro, R. Pretell, B. Carlton, S. L. Kramer, and J. P. Stewart. 2024. "Next Generation Liquefaction Models for Susceptibility, Triggering And Manifestation Rev. 1." 233. Research Information Letter. Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research: United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC).https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2435/ML24353A158.pdf
O’Donnell, T. M., K. S. Hudson, J. G. Ornelas, J. P. Stewart, S. J. Brandenberg, C. C. Nweke, and P. Zimmaro. 2024. "Site Characterization and Liquefaction Analysis at Searles Lake, CA following 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence." 59. GIRS-2024-03. USGS.https://doi.org/10.34948/N3F302
Brandenberg, S., J. Stewart, K. Hudson, D. Y. Kwak, P. Zimmaro, and Q. Parker. 2024. "Ground Failure of Hydraulic Fills in Chiba, Japan and Data Archival in Community Database." PEER Reports. Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA.https://doi.org/10.55461/AMNH7013
Ulmer, K. J., K. S. Hudson, S. J. Brandenberg, P. Zimmaro, R. Pretell, B. Carlton, S. L. Kramer, and J. P. Stewart. 2023. "Task 7b: Draft Final Report Documenting Probabilistic Liquefaction Models." U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brandenberg, S.J., Stewart, J.P., Hudson, K.S., and Zimmaro, P. (2020). "Cyclic Softening and Post Cyclic Volume Change of Fine-Grained Soil." Final Report for USGS Award Number G19AP00084.https://earthquake.usgs.gov/cfusion/external_grants/reports/G19AP00084.pdf
Brandenberg, S.J., P. Wang, C.C. Nweke, K.S. Hudson, S. Mazzoni, Y. Bozorgnia, C.A. Goulet, K.W. Hudnut, C.A. Davis, S.K. Ahdi, F. Zareian, J. Fayaz, R.D. Koehler, C. Chupik, I. Pierce, A. Williams, S. Akxiz, M.B. Hudson, and T. Kishida. 2019. "Preliminary Report on Engineering and Geological Effects of the July 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence" A report of the NSF-Sponsored Geotechnical Extreme Event Reconnaissance Association, August 3, 2019.http://www.geerassociation.org/component/geer_reports/?view=geerreports&id=91&layout=build
Alam, N.S., Y. Alberto, C. Aranha, S. Derakhshan, W. Djima, E. Fischer, W. Greendwood, G. Haro, W. Hassan, K.S. Hudson, Hakhamaneshi, A. Julius, L. Laughery, X. Ma, W. Maddalozzo, H. Mulchandani, T. Rodriguez-Nikl, Y.T. Tsai, M. Unal, J. Wong, D. Yoo, and K. Ziotopulou. 2019. "Virtual Earthquake Reconnaissance Team (VERT): Phase 1 Response to M6.4 & M7.1 Searles Valley Earthquakes 07/04 & 7/05/2019"Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, July 10, 2019 (Co-authors Mohammad Shafiqual Alam et al.)http://learningfromearthquakes.org/2019-07-04-searles-valley/images/2019_07_04_Searles_Valley/PDFs/VERT_Phase_1-Searles_Valley_Earthquakes_Report.pdf
Hassan W., E. Fischer, M. Hakhamaneshi, J. Gaitan, R. Pretell, B. Ong, L. Laughery, N. Paul, D. Yoo, B. Ong, Y. Alberto, D. Cordero, M. Unal, H. Mulchandani, A. Hu, A. Orozco, M. Bello, C. Segura, K.S. Hudson, H. Hayati, V. Calderon, A. Martin, W. Greenwood, E. Lim, A. Julius, and J. Liu. 2018. "Virtual Earthquake Reconnaissance Team (VERT): Phase 1 Response to M7.0 Anchorage, Alaska Earthquake, November 30, 2018"Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, November 30, 2018.http://www.learningfromearthquakes.org/2018-11-30-anchorage-alaska/images/2018_11_30_Anchorage_Alaska/pdf/181203-VERT-Phase-1-Alaska-M7.0-EQ.pdf
Conference Proceedings
Hudson, M. B., K. S. Hudson, M. Del Carpio, J. Adams, and A. Terzian. 2025. "Monte Carlo Simulation to Asses Soil Property Uncertainties for Seismic Evaluation of Existing Structures." Deep Foundation Institute Annual Conference, In review.
Hudson, K. S., K. Ulmer, S. J. Brandenberg, P. Zimmaro, S. L. Kramer, and J. P. Stewart. 2024. "A Framework for Probabilistic Assessment of Liquefaction Manifestation." 152–160. American Society of Civil Engineers.https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784485316.017
Hudson, K. S., K. Ulmer, S. J. Brandenberg, P. Zimmaro, S. L. Kramer, and J. P. Stewart. 2024. "A Framework for Probabilistic Assessment of Liquefaction Manifestation." 152–160. American Society of Civil Engineers.https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784485316.017
Hudson, K. S., Brandenberg, S.J., Zimmaro, P., Ulmer, K.J., Kramer, S.L., Stewart, J.P. 2023. "Kriging Interpolation of Ground Motion Residuals at Liquefaction Case History Sites",Proceedings of the 2023 Geocongress, p. 365-372, doi:https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784484654.037
Hudson, K. S., Zimmaro, P., Ulmer, K., Carlton, B., Stuedlein, A., Jana, A., Dadashiserej, A., Brandenberg, S. J., Stamatakos, J., Kramer, S. L., & Stewart, J. P. 2022. "Laboratory Component of Next-Generation Liquefaction Project Database." In L. Wang, J.-M. Zhang, & R. Wang (Eds.),Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Performance Based Design in Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering (Beijing 2022)(pp. 1865–1874). Springer International Publishing. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11898-2_170
Nweke, C. C., Davis, C. A., Hudson, K.S., Hudnut, K.W., Brandenberg, S. J., & Stewart, J. P. 2022. "Performance of Water Pipelines at Fault Crossings from the 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquakes."Lifelines 2022. American Society of Civil Engineers. doi:https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784484449.031
Lew, M., and K. S. Hudson. 2022. "Implications of the ASCE 7-22 Multi-Period Response Spectra on Structural Design for the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area."Proceedings of the 12th National Conference in Earthquake Engineering. Salt Lake City, Utah: Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.
Lee, Y., Z. Hu, J. Hu, A. Harounian, M.B. Hudson, K.S. Hudson, and R.T. Eguchi. 2022. "Probabilistic Seismic Risk Evaluation of the City of Los Angeles Water System Pipeline Network",Lifelines 2022, ASCE, p. 819-832, doi:https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784484432.073
Hudson, K.S., Hudson, M.B., Hu, J., Harounian, A., & Lew, M. 2022. "Quantifying Earthquake Hazards to Lifeline Systems at a Regional Scale with a Study of the Los Angeles Water System Pipeline Network",Proceedings of the ASCE-UCLA Lifelines Conference 2021-2022, doi:https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784484432.038
Hudson, M. B., Choi, S. H. J., Hansmire, W. H., & Hudson, K.S. 2022. "Seismic Design of Los Angeles Underground Transit Stations."Lifelines 2022. ASCE. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784484432.027
Lew, M. and K.S. Hudson. "The proposed ASCE 7-22 Multi-period response spectra – impact on the Los Angeles metropolitan area",Proceedings of the 2021 Los Angeles Tall Buildings Structural Design Council Conference, p. 130-143, Nov. 12, 2021.
Hudson, K.S. and M.B. Hudson. 2020. "Case History of Column Cracking Due to Rotational Footing Movement at a site in Los Angeles, California"Proceedings of the ASCE 2020 Geo-Congress, Minneapolis, MN, p.362-369.
Hudson, K.S., M.B. Hudson, and G. Arreguin. 2020. "Deep Foundations for Top-down Construction of High-rise Project"Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Conference on Deep Foundations, 2019, Chicago, IL, USA.
Lee, Y., J. Hu, A. Harounian, M.B. Hudson, K.S. Hudson, Z. Hu, and R.T. Eguchi. 2019. "Earthquake Scenario Development for Seismic Performance and Risk Evaluation of the City of Los Angeles Water System Pipeline Network"Proceedings of the 11th US-Taiwan-Japan Workshop on Water System Seismic Practices, October 9-11, 2019.
Lew, M., A. Dinsick, and K.S. Hudson. 2018. "Scaling of Time Histories for Response History Analysis for Performance-Based Design of Tall Buildings"Proceedings of the Eleventh U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering, June 2018.
Hudson, K.S. and M. Lew. 2018. "Comparison of UCERF2 and UCERF3 Earthquake Rupture Forecasts in Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis Evaluation for Downtown Los Angeles"Proceedings of the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Los Angeles Tall Buildings Structural Design Council, May 4, 2018.
Dissertations and Theses
Hudson, K.S. 2023. "Next Generation Liquefaction Database and Probabilistic Liquefaction Model Development."ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Ph.D. United States -- California: University of California, Los Angeles.
Hudson, K.S. 2017. "In Situ Observations of Seismic Wave Propagation"University of California, Santa Barbara Master’s Thesis, June 2017 (advisor Jamie Steidl).
Oral and Poster Presentations
Hudson, K.S. 2025. "Site Response Analysis and Future Directions in Seismic Hazard Analysis."AEG-IE July 2025 Meeting. July 9, 2025, Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists (AEG) Inland Empire Chapter, Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
Hudson, K.S. 2025. "Anisotropic path and site effects' influences on strong ground motions records in the Santa Barbara region."SCEC Workshop: Earthquakes and Related Hazards in the Santa Barbara-Ventura Area Commemorating the 1925 Santa Barbara Earthquake. June 29-30, 2025, Statewide California Earthquake Center, University of California Santa Barbara, CA.
Hudson, K.S., S.J. Brandenberg, S.L. Kramer, K. Ulmer, P. Zimmaro. 2022. "NGL Supported Modeling Team Approach."12th National Conference in Earthquake Engineering, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, Salt Lake City, UT.
Hudson, K.S., M.B. Hudson, and K. O’Dell. 2020. "Building Damage due to Liquefaction in the Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence"Poster at the 2020 National Earthquake Conference, March 4-6, 2020.
Hudson, K.S., J.P. Stewart, S.J. Brandenberg, P. Zimmaro, and S.L. Kramer. 2020. "Disagreements in Liquefaction Susceptibility Criteria of Fine-Grained Soils and Implications for Design"Poster at the 2020 Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center Annual Meeting, January 15-18, 2020.
Hudson, K.S. and T. Gospe. 2019. "Pattern Recognition of Southern California Earthquakes over the past 85 years using Machine Learning"Presentation at the American Geophysical Union annual meeting, December 13, 2019.
Hudson, K.S., Y. Lee, J. Hu, A. Harounian, M.B. Hudson, Z. Hu, R.T. Eguchi. 2019. "Earthquake Scenario Development for Seismic Performance and Risk Evaluation of the City of Los Angeles Water System Pipeline Network"Presentation at the 2019 Le Val Lund Student Symposium on Lifeline Infrastructure and Community Resilience, November 15, 2019.
Gospe, T., K.S. Hudson, A. Yong, J. Fletcher, E.S. Cochran, N.V. Elst, A. McClain, and J.P. Stewart. 2019. "Site Response Analyses of U.S. Geological Survey Rapid Aftershock Pasadena (RAP) Stations Deployed After the M6.4 and M7.1 Ridgecrest Earthquakes"Poster at the 2019 Southern California Earthquake Center Annual Meeting, September 8-11, 2019.
Hudson, K.S., M.B. Hudson, S. Mazzoni, and M. Lew. (2019) "Application of Mean Spectral Modification of Time Histories"Presentation at the 2019 Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting, April 25, 2019.
Hudson, K.S., and M.B. Hudson. (2018) "Application of Near-Source Factors to Deterministic Response Spectra"Presentation at the Seismological Society of America 2018 Annual Meeting, May 2018.
Hudson, K.S. and J. Steidl. (2016) "In Situ Observation of Site Response During and After Nonlinear Soil Behavior has Occurred"Poster at the 2016 AGU Annual Meeting, December 14, 2016.