Paul M. Naghdi; UC Berkeley Professor, High-Rise Design Expert

Paul M. Naghdi, 70, a UC Berkeley professor of mechanical engineering and a theoretician who studied methods of building tall structures to withstand earthquakes and other natural perils. His work dealt with the physics of designing high-rise buildings, domes and bridges to accommodate load factors such as snow or high winds as well as temblors. A native of Iran, Naghdi came to the United States in 1943 to attend Cornell University and became a citizen in 1948. He earned a master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Michigan and taught there before switching to Berkeley in 1958. Naghdi helped establish Berkeley’s division of applied mechanics and at his retirement this year was awarded the Berkeley Citation, the school’s highest honor for a faculty member. On Saturday in Berkeley of cancer.