At Work: Manuel Matthew Mendoza

Matt Mendoza

29 June 2022–The scenes of devastation from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami were part of what made Manuel Mendoza consider a career as a geophysicist, he says. The combination of interesting science, travel and the ability to help people were all factors that convinced him to study earthquakes. Mendoza’s … Continue Reading »

At Work: Peggy Hellweg

Peggy Hellweg at BSL

16 May 2022–Peggy Hellweg was the first Explainer hired at the Exploratorium, a science, technology and arts museum in San Francisco, when it opened in 1969. The job as a young docent, engaging visitors and leading demonstrations, was a perfect fit for Hellweg. She had grown up in a family … Continue Reading »

At Work: John Townend

John Townend

15 April 2022–As SSA President, John Townend has been at the helm of the society as it weathered the challenges of a pandemic and a virtual annual meeting, but the past year has led to new insights as well. “The pandemic has forced us to adapt the ways we meet … Continue Reading »

At Work: Mouse Marie Reusch

Mouse Reusch

14 March 2022–As the Regional ShakeAlert Coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, Mouse Marie Reusch often fields questions about earthquake early warning from the public. “For earthquake early warning, a big misconception is that it’s prediction, and it’s not,” Reusch explained. “An earthquake has already started somewhere, and we’re … Continue Reading »

At Work: Delaine Reiter

Delaine Reiter

14 February 2022–At the Colorado School of Mines, where Delaine Reiter was an undergraduate, she found her interests in math and Earth physics turned toward exploration seismology and near-surface studies. “I was looking at big reflection surveys of the very shallow crust, trying to find oil and gas plays,” she … Continue Reading »

At Work: Alicia Hotovec-Ellis

18 January 2022–For as long as Alicia Hotovec-Ellis can remember, she’s had “three core pieces of identity,” she said. “I like to draw, my favorite color is fire, and I want to be a scientist when I grow up.” She spent hours during her college days writing and illustrating a … Continue Reading »