How can SSA best serve your professional needs and continue making advances in the field of seismology?
Keep that question in mind as you read the candidate statements below for our 2027 Board of Directors Election. Then be sure to cast your vote!
As the governing body for SSA, the Board of Directors helps set the broad policy and direction for the Society.
Voting in this election is a responsibility shared by every member of our community.
This is your opportunity to select the individuals who will steer the Society’s course for the next three years and set the course for years to come.
Together, by casting your vote in this important election, we advance earthquake science worldwide. Make your voice heard and vote today!
SSA members are invited to vote for candidates for the Board of Directors in the 2027 election as part of the annual membership renewal and update process. Members may log in here to cast their vote. Candidate statements are presented below, in alphabetical order by last name.
The election will be open for voting from 28 September 2026 until 5 p.m. PST on Friday, 8 January 2027. SSA strongly urges members to participate in the Society’s future by casting ballots. For assistance, contact election@seismosoc.org or phone 510-525-5474.
For a full list of the current Board of Directors, visit this page. The date next to the name indicates the end of their current term.
Candidate Statements (in alpha order):
Brendan Crowell
Assistant Professor, School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University
Principal Fields
Geodesy, Seismogeodesy, Geophysics, Early Warning Systems, Natural Hazards
Candidate Statement
I’m an Assistant Professor in the School of Earth Sciences at The Ohio State University, where I lead the Seismogeodesy Laboratory. My research combines high-rate GNSS with traditional seismic instrumentation to study earthquakes, tsunamis, and tectonic processes. That work includes building and validating the G-FAST geodetic module within ShakeAlert, along with several open-source tools now used across the community, and I’ve applied these methods to major earthquakes around the world. Additionally, I currently chair CRESCENT’s Coupling, Seismicity, and Slow Slip Working Group.
Organizational governance has been a consistent part of my career over the past decade. Within SSA specifically, I served on the Nominating Committee in 2021 and as an Associate Editor for Seismological Research Letters (2017-2021) and The Seismic Record (2021-2024). These roles gave me a close look at how the Society runs its journals, meetings, and member programs. I also served on UNAVCO’s Board of Directors during its final term before the organization merged into EarthScope, was AGU’s Geodesy Section Secretary, and received AGU’s John Wahr Early Career Award in geodesy. A 2025 Fulbright Specialist award took me to Ecuador, and that experience, along with earlier collaborations in Chile, New Zealand, and Indonesia, showed me firsthand what SSA’s science and community can offer researchers outside the US.
If elected, I’d bring a geodesy-forward perspective to the Board at a time when GNSS, InSAR, and other geodetic techniques are becoming central to how we do earthquake science and early warning. My priorities would be building stronger connections between the seismology and geodesy communities within SSA, backing mentorship for early-career scientists, and keeping the Society invested in the open data and open-source tools our field runs on. I’d be glad to put that experience to work for SSA’s members.
Andreas Fichtner
Professor of Seismology and Wave Physics
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Principal Fields
Theoretical and Computational Seismology, Fiber-optic Seismology, Inverse Theory, Cryoseismology
Candidate Statement
Founded with the aspiration to provide “the best information obtainable concerning earthquakes” and to “work for the benefit […] of all mankind,” SSA has played a central role in advancing seismology for more than 120 years. Ensuring that SSA continues to thrive while upholding openness, scientific excellence, and academic integrity is a central responsibility of its Board of Directors.
SSA currently faces major challenges, both political and technological. Turning these challenges into opportunities will require diversifying SSA’s activities and membership while preserving its core identity and mission. If re-elected, I would contribute to achieving this balance.
A central part of my mission would be to serve as an ambassador for SSA in parts of the world where strong seismological research is still developing—with, of course, a touch of Swiss neutrality. I would work to expand membership and visibility beyond the United States by promoting SSA activities internationally and by leading the Community Grants Committee.
I would also focus on three further priorities: (1) strengthening the role and visibility of theoretical and computational seismology at SSA meetings; (2) helping SSA navigate the rapidly evolving impact of AI on research and publishing, addressing challenges such as new forms of plagiarism while embracing opportunities for more efficient administrative workflows; and (3) confronting the growing tension between open-data requirements for reproducible research and our ability to store, curate, and share increasingly massive datasets.
I believe SSA is at its best when it brings together diverse scientific communities and perspectives. I would be pleased to contribute to that effort for a second term.
Debi Kilb
Research Scientist, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD
Principal Fields
Crustal Seismology, Earthquake Early Warning, Earthquake Source Physics
Candidate Statement
I am honored to be nominated to serve on the SSA Board of Directors, an opportunity to continue to serve a Society that has shaped my career. A strength of SSA is its ability to pivot as times change, and with science under attack today, that adaptability matters more than ever. I have served as a board member since 2024 and watched, firsthand, as SSA shifted tactics to fit the current administration. As a board member, I led the development of the new SSA Excellence in Mentoring Award, set to launch in 2027. This award will honor an individual whose mentorship clearly exceeds normal expectations. To me, mentoring is key to securing our field’s future, especially as AI reshapes research, where guidance from experienced scientists will be essential to navigating both AI’s perks and pitfalls. My time is often divided between research and other endeavors (i.e., directing the Scripps Visualization Center, coordinating Sally Ride Science programs at UCSD, and leading SIO Games, a scientific video game team). The SSA spring meetings are a favorite of mine, especially the year my high-school intern was allowed to present a poster. In addition to my focus area of crustal seismology, I have worked in the fields of geology, glaciology, and hydrology. My multidisciplinary research has refined my science communication skills, providing tools I can use across the board to better convey science concepts and their importance. This is particularly true in my earthquake early warning research, which is both scientific and societal. To me, bringing people from different backgrounds together can move the needle in ways that might be lacking in single-discipline collaborations. As an SSA board member, I will focus on promoting key SSA objectives that resonate with me, including the nimbleness to keep pace with a shifting scientific landscape.
Gonzalo A. Montalva
Full Professor, Civil Engineering Department, Universidad de Concepción, Chile
Principal Fields
Engineering seismology, Ground-motion modeling, Probabilistic seismic hazard, Site effects, Geotechnical earthquake engineering
Candidate Statement
I am honored to be considered for the SSA Board of Directors. I am a civil engineer by training and a professor at Universidad de Concepción, where I work on ground-motion modeling, seismic hazard, and site effects for the Chilean subduction zone. My connection to the Society is long-standing: BSSA and SRL are where I publish and where I review, and the Annual Meeting is where much of my group’s work has been shaped and tested.
Two commitments would guide my service. The first is the Society’s international reach. Many of the world’s largest earthquakes occur along subduction margins in the Global South, yet the scientists working closest to them remain underrepresented in our meetings and in our pages. I have spent my career building the infrastructure that lets this region contribute on equal terms — the Chilean strong-motion flatfile, a national liquefaction case-history database, an integrated seismic catalog reaching back to 1513, and the ORSCA site-response observatory — and fostering regional efforts through GEM-SARA and the seismic hazard chapter of the South American Model Code. I would press for practical measures: meeting and publication costs that do not exclude, and real pathways for members outside North America to join committees and take on editorial roles.
The second is the interface between seismology and engineering. Ground-motion models, hazard maps, and design codes are where our science reaches the built environment, and that translation is often where it breaks down. As past president of the Chilean Geotechnical Society, and through reconnaissance after Pisco, Maule, Iquique, Illapel, Puebla–Mexico City, and Catia La Mar, I have seen how much is gained when seismologists and engineers work in the same room. SSA is well placed to keep that conversation central.
Shahram Pezeshk
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Memphis
Director of the Center for Disaster Recovery and Resiliency (CDRR)
Principal Fields
Engineering Seismology, Ground-Motion Modeling, Seismic Hazard Analysis, Site Response, Non-Ergodic Ground-Motion Models, Central and Eastern United States Seismicity
Candidate Statement
I am honored to be considered as a candidate for the Board of Directors of the Seismological Society of America (SSA). Throughout my career, SSA has been an important forum for advancing earthquake science and bringing together researchers, seismologists, engineers, practitioners, and public agencies. I would be honored to give back to the Society and help strengthen its role in advancing science, informing practice, and reducing earthquake risk.
My research focuses on ground-motion modeling, site and sediment-thickness effects, and site-specific seismic response analyses. I have also worked at the interface of seismology and seismic design, including research on long-period response spectra and seismological parameters adopted by ASCE and the Building Seismic Safety Council for building codes. The U.S. Geological Survey has adopted my ground-motion models for seismic hazard mapping in the Central and Eastern United States (CEUS). These experiences have reinforced my commitment to connecting rigorous seismology research with engineering practice and seismic risk reduction.
I have contributed to SSA through research presentations, technical sessions, publications, peer review, and participation in Annual and Eastern Section Meetings. My collaborations with USGS, EERI, ASCE, transportation agencies, emergency-management organizations, and other professional groups have strengthened my appreciation for interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration.
As a Board member, I would advocate for stronger connections between earthquake science, engineering practice, and community resilience. I would also support continued attention to seismic hazards in the CEUS and other regions with limited historical seismicity, sparse data, or low public awareness. My work with the EERI New Madrid Chapter, the National Committee on Coastal Plain Amplification, the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands National Seismic Hazard Model team, and the NGA-West3 Implementation Committee has provided valuable experience building regional and national collaborations.
I would be honored to receive your vote.
Eric Thompson
Research Geophysicist, U.S. Geological Survey
Principal Fields
Engineering Seismology, Ground-motion Modeling, Real-Time Earthquake Information Products
Candidate Statement
I am a research geophysicist at the USGS Geologic Hazards Science Center in Golden, Colorado. My work sits at the intersection of earthquake hazards research and the operational products that deliver it to the public, including ShakeMap, the Ground Failure product, and gmprocess, an open-source ground-motion processing project.
When I attended my first SSA Annual Meeting as a graduate student, the scientific content was impressive and sometimes intimidating. What was most unexpected, however, was the warmth of the community. Senior researchers that I looked up to and only knew through their papers were welcoming and took time to encourage a student they did not know. That experience profoundly influenced me, and SSA has been my professional home ever since. I served as an Associate Editor of Seismological Research Letters for a decade, guest edited a Focus Section, and continue to learn from colleagues at sessions I have attended and convened at the annual meeting. I now serve as an Associate Editor for Earthquake Spectra, a role I value for the overlap between the seismological and earthquake engineering communities, and one that I hope positions me to help strengthen the connections between them.
As a Board member, I would prioritize the support that I experienced as a student. As SSA grows in membership, disciplinary breadth, and international reach, the challenge is to grow without losing the sense of community that makes the Annual Meeting a place where early-career scientists find encouragement, mentors, and collaborators. I would also work to foster collaboration across institutions, because we accomplish more when agencies, universities, and networks work together. The experience of early-career members today determines the Society’s future success, and I would welcome the chance to contribute to that future.
The election will be open for voting from 28 September 2026 until 5 p.m. PST on Friday, 8 January 2027.