Candidate Statements
SSA 2010 Board of Directors

Klaus-G. Hinzen
Universität zu Köln

Principal fields: regional seismicity of the northern Rhine area, engineering seismology, archaeoseismology, education

During my career I have had the opportunity to work closely with specialists in many fields including civil and geotechnical engineering, geology and, more recently, archaeology. As much as interdisciplinary work is necessary and interesting, it is also sometimes not easy to find a common language. In case I am elected, I would like to concentrate on making a contribution to an intensification of the Society’s outreach to related or even unrelated disciplines. The Society’s 2006 San Francisco meeting was an excellent example for the success and profit from such an outreach for SSA members, engineers, and the public. I feel that this is the right direction on a path the Society should continue to take. Following the 2007 member statistics published in the Seismological Research Letters, I am part of the 35% fraction of members located outside the United States. A second priority for the three-year term would be to work for a stronger interaction between members in the United States and abroad. 2009 marks the year when I am a member of Seismological Society of America for exactly one half of my life, and I am honored to stand for election to the Board of Directors.

Keith D. Koper
Saint Louis University

Principal fields: deep Earth structure, forensic seismology, array seismology, seismic noise

It is an honor to be considered for election to the SSA Board of Directors. I have enjoyed being an associate editor at BSSA for the past several years and it would be a pleasure to continue to serve the Society as a board member. If elected to the Board, I will use my perspective as a member of the deep Earth and verification communities to complement the Society’s focus on earthquake science as it seeks out new opportunities for growth in the 21st century. In particular, I have an interest in working to help make infrasound, hydroacoustic, and seismic data from the International Monitoring System more accessible to scientists involved in earthquake and Earth structure research. For details about my background and research activities, please see my web page at http://www.eas.slu.edu/People/KKoper/. Thanks for considering my candidacy.

Lisa Grant Ludwig
University of California, Irvine

Principal fields: Paleoseismology, earthquake geology, earthquake simulation and forecasting, earthquakes and public health, neotectonics.

I would be pleased to serve SSA as a member of the Board. As a graduate student, I liked to hide in the Caltech library archives reading early issues of BSSA for fun. Throughout my career, SSA has been my professional home because it is most aligned with my interests and goals. I am fascinated by earthquakes and concerned about their impact on society. SSA has achieved prominence as a “scientific society devoted to the advancement of earthquake science” through publication of outstanding journals and sponsorship of first-rate meetings. One of my goals for SSA would be to increase its impact by increasing and broadening its membership. Scientists who study earthquakes from any disciplinary perspective could benefit from SSA membership. Of equal importance is the Society’s mission to “promote public safety through all practical means.” SSA members have an obligation to society and an opportunity to simultaneously increase the perceived value of our science. I propose to start a public safety section of SSA to increase the visibility of existing activities, coordinate them effectively, and encourage participation. Through increasing the impact of our science and enhancing its value to society, we will ensure our ability to continue doing what we do best: seismology!

Thomas H. Jordan
University of Southern California

Principal fields: Seismology, tectonics

The Seismological Society of America is the professional organization that best represents the interests of U.S. earthquake seismologists, serving its members and the broader community through outstanding publications, informative scientific meetings, and effective government relations. If elected to the Board, I will work hard to ensure that the Society continues to prosper. I am particularly interested in promoting the study of earthquakes as a predictive “system science,” which requires collaborations among seismologists, geologists, geodesists, information technologists, and engineers. I believe that SSA should reach beyond its traditional seismological domain to strengthen these interdisciplinary partnerships, and that it should provide a national forum for the integrative, system-level modeling needed for operational earthquake forecasting, early warning, and emergency response. I am also keen to work with the new USGS leadership in addressing the national earthquake threat and, more generally, in elevating that agency’s science role within the federal government.

Christa G. von Hillebrandt-Andrade
Puerto Rico Seismic Network, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez

Principal fields: earthquake and tsunami monitoring; earthquake education and preparedness; seismic hazard

For the past three years I have had the honor of serving on the board of the Seismological Society of America. I am a volcanologist who ventured into seismology almost 20 years ago. SSA, through its publications and annual meetings, continues to provide me opportunities to meet and learn from colleagues. Through the waves of funding priorities of our governments, the Society also has played an important role in defending our seismic networks, research, and preparedness. If re-elected, I am committed to continue to support the advancement of the Society through its publications, meetings, and government relations. I also believe we need to continue fostering the participation of all the sectors of our professions, from our network operators, researchers, building and insurance industry through emergency management and decision makers. Hopefully, more of our colleagues from low- and middle- income countries will be able to take advantage of the new reduced membership rates the Society now offers them. Also, we are challenged to engage the younger generation of professionals who are pivotal for the continued growth and success of the Society and to serve our membership throughout the world.

Yuri Fialko
Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Principal fields: crustal deformation, physics of earthquakes, space geodesy, fault mechanics, geodynamics

Seismology has evolved into a truly multidisciplinary science with firmly established ties to fields as diverse as theoretical and experimental rock mechanics, geology, geodesy, and engineering. As a member of the Board I will support interactions between different disciplines aimed at understanding earthquake phenomena and mitigating seismic hazards. I believe it is important the the SSA membership reflects the diversity of the earthquake science. I am committed to the Society’s goals of dissemination of knowledge and public education. BSSA is a flagship of the Society and I would like to see that it maintains and strengthens its stature as a leading journal in the field of earthquake seismology. The annual SSA meeting is another important venue for presenting recent findings, exchanging ideas, and raising public awareness. I will work to encourage more cross-disciplinary sessions representing all facets of earthquake science to invigorate the meeting and stimulate its attendance.