Robert Kayen is a civil engineer, geologist, holds professorships at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Los Angeles in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and is a senior scientist at the United States Geological Survey.
He is a leading international expert in the fields of earthquake engineering, seismic soil liquefaction, and seismic displacement analysis of ground failures.
Kayen's research focuses on geotechnical engineering, engineering characterization of natural hazards and extreme events, and earth science aspects of civil engineering.
His works have been applied in earthquake engineering design of building foundations, bridge abutments, and lifeline and environmental systems.