RMS' Dr. Mary Lou Zoback Receives the Geological Society of America Arthur L. Day Medal and the Public Service Award

Dr. Mary Lou Zoback, Vice President of Earthquake Risk Applications at RMS, received two major awards from the Geological Society of America (GSA) at the 119th GSA annual meeting, “Earth Sciences for Society,” held October 28–31 in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Zoback received the Arthur L. Day Medal for her body of work delineating the forces that drive and deform the Earth’s lithospheric plates and cause earthquakes, and the Public Service Award for her contributions to the application of geoscience in public policy decision-making and science education at the national and local levels. Both awards were given at the Presidential Address and Awards Ceremony on October 27, 2007.

At the meeting, Dr. Zoback also presented research conducted by herself and RMS’ Dr. Pasan Seneviratna on "Quantifying Global Earthquake Risk Exposure and the Role of Geology" as part of the session "Role of Geology in Planning and Mitigation of Natural Hazards." In this talk, she addressed the assessment of relative global earthquake risk exposure by combining estimates of seismic hazard, population density, and structural vulnerability to evaluate the countries with the greatest relative exposure to risk, both in terms of potential building damage and earthquake mortality risk.

"Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Zoback has consistently dedicated her talents to applying geoscience knowledge to public policy decision-making," said David Applegate, Acting Associate Director for Geology and Senior Science Advisor for Earthquake and Geologic Hazards, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), who nominated Zoback for the Public Service Award. "Her tireless efforts to educate the public on earthquake hazards culminated in her leadership in the campaign to build public awareness and improve earthquake preparedness in the San Francisco Bay region during the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the devastating 1906 Earthquake."

The Geological Society of America was founded in 1888 and currently has over 20,000 members representing academia, government, and industry in more than 90 countries. The Arthur L. Day Medal, established in 1948, recognizes outstanding achievements in solving geologic problems through the application of physics and chemistry. The Public Service Award was established in 1988 in honor of Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker. It is awarded to individuals who have significantly enhanced public understanding of the Earth sciences.

Dr. Zoback joined RMS in December 2006 to lead RMS work and outreach around earthquake risk applications and research. Her responsibilities include helping to build consensus among experts to develop high-quality earthquake risk models for regions around the world. She also leads RMS initiatives on the significance of risk quantification for expanding the societal role of earthquake insurance, disaster management, and risk reduction activities worldwide.

Prior to joining RMS, Mary Lou was a 28-year veteran of the USGS, where she served as Chief Scientist of the Earthquake Hazard team and Regional Coordinator for the USGS Northern California Earthquake Hazard Program. She is also a former president of the Geological Society of America.