Dr. Paolo Bergamo

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Paolo Bergamo is a senior researcher at the Swiss Seismological Service (SED), ETH Zürich, focusing on Engineering Seismology. He joined SED in April 2016, having previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Politecnico di Torino, where he specialized in reconstructing near-surface velocity models using surface-wave data. He also conducted studies at Queen’s University Belfast, dealing with time-lapse monitoring of infrastructures through geophysical surveys, particularly in the context of marine turbine foundations. His research encompasses developing earthquake site response models, collating empirical ground-motion data to enhance seismic building codes, and modeling soil amplification effects over various spatial scales. Notable projects include the Earthquake Risk Model for Switzerland, site-specific elastic design spectra for future building codes, and collaborations with various governmental and academic bodies on improving ground-motion models and site characterization. Bergamo holds a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from Politecnico di Torino, Italy, where he studied Water Territory Management Engineering.

Research Interests

Experience

Senior Researcher

2016-04-01 — Present

Swiss Seismological Service (SED) • Zürich, Switzerland

Focused on engineering seismology, involved in various projects related to seismic building codes and ground motion modeling.

Research Fellow

2014-03-01 — 2016-02-01

Queen’s University Belfast • Belfast, UK

Worked on monitoring stability of earthworks, utilizing time-lapse geophysical data.

Research Fellow

2012-01-01 — 2014-02-01

Politecnico di Torino • Torino, Italy

Developed surface wave analysis techniques for near-surface characterization.

Requirements for ETH Zurich

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.4
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Total
Required:100
GRE General
Verbal
Required:159
Verbal Percentile
Required:80
Quantitative
Required:168
Quantitative Percentile
Required:81
Analytical Writing
Required:4.5
Writing Percentile
Required:85
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in a related field (Engineering, Natural Sciences, or Mathematics) Minimum 180 ECTS credits Subject-specific knowledge equivalent to ETH Bachelor's programs
Application Checklist
  • Bachelor's degree diploma or transcript
  • Official academic transcripts
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Letter of Motivation (1 page)
  • Two academic recommendation letters
  • English language proficiency certificate
  • GRE General Test (for non-EU/EFTA applicants)
Specialization Notes

The GRE is mandatory for students who did not obtain their Bachelor's degree in an EU/EFTA state. Some departments (e.g., Computer Science) have specific ECTS credit requirements in core subjects.