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The “Earthquake Lady” joins us next week!

Published by USC Bedrosian Center on

by Robyn Burleson

On November 30, the Bedrosian Center is excited to welcome Dr. Lucy Jones to USC Price for our last Lunch with a Leader event of the semester! A seismologist who has worked with the US Geological Survey (USGS) for more than 30 years, Dr. Jones conducts leading research on earthquakes and disaster preparedness, with a special focus on how to estimate the probability of foreshocks and aftershocks. Her research has become the basis of earthquake advisories issued by the state of California, and last month, she received the prestigious Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal, an award that is considered the “Oscar” of government service.

In addition to her cutting-edge research for USGS, Dr. Jones is dedicated to spreading the word and educating the public about complex scientific concepts so the community can take appropriate action to save lives and reduce property damage during earthquake emergencies. In 2008, she created the ShakeOut Scenario, an educational campaign based on the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on the San Andreas Fault. The ShakeOut Scenario has become the largest safety drill in the world, with more than 26 participants in 2014. In addition, Dr. Jones partnered with Los Angeles Major Garcetti’s administration in 2014 to develop the Southern California region’s seismic safety plan to strengthen buildings, telecommunication structures, and water tunnels in order to mitigate the risk of infrastructure failure in a massive earthquake disaster. Dr. Jones explains, “I believe it is our obligation as scientists to make information understandable to nonscientists so that it can be used to support others in making our country safer from inevitable natural disasters.”

The next big earthquake is inevitable, but thanks to Lucy Jones, the damage doesn’t have to be. Join us on Monday, November 30 at 12pm as we speak with Dr. Jones about her work to make the region safer!

Bedrosian Center