Since 2003, the Distinguished Service to SSA Award has honored individuals for their outstanding service to SSA.
Past recipients have devoted their time and talents to SSA publications, the preservation of SSA history and other important Society work that helps advance our mission.
Awardees become Honorary Members of the Society.
Award Criteria
This award honors outstanding service to SSA.
Award Eligibility
Any person may be nominated for this award with the exception of any individual who is a member, member-elect or officer of the Board of Directors at the time of the nomination deadline. There is no restriction on the number of such awards that may be given in any year.
Nomination Procedure
Any SSA member, who is eligible to submit a nomination, may nominate a candidate for this award. One two-page nomination letter must be submitted. Letters of support are optional. Any unsuccessful nomination may be considered again in the following year’s award cycle without resubmission of the nomination package if requested by a nominator before 30 September annual deadline. To be reconsidered in subsequent years (beyond the year immediately following the original nomination) a new nomination package must be submitted. The Executive Director will contact nominators via email prior to 30 September to confirm willingness for reconsideration of a package for a second year.
A signed nominator disclosure form submitted by the chief nominator must be included with every submission. Click here to complete the Ethics Disclosure Form for Nominators.
Awardee Selection
The Awardee is selected by the Board by a three-fourths vote.
Deadline and More Details
Nominations for all SSA awards should be sent to the SSA Secretary by 30 September, midnight PST. Electronic submissions should be e-mailed in .TXT, .PDF or .DOC files to awards@seismosoc.org.
For more information, see the SSA Honors Program guide.
2025 Distinguished Service Award Recipient
James “Jim” Mori is the 2025 recipient of the Distinguished Service to SSA Award for his outstanding work in expanding the Seismological Society of America’s international presence and in ensuring investment in its newest members.
Mori is also recognized for his outstanding service to SSA in several key leadership roles, including terms on the SSA Board (2013-18) and as president in 2016, as well as longstanding service as a member of the SSA Investment Committee.
As SSA president, Mori brought new energy to the society’s international outreach, especially in his persistent support for a joint meeting with the Latin American and Caribbean Seismological Commission (LACSC). The meeting, first planned for 2018 in Puerto Rico, was moved on short notice to Miami, Florida after Hurricane Irma. The gathering was one of the best attended SSA Annual Meetings to date, thanks in large part to Mori’s support.
Following in the footstepes of his colleague Caltech Professor Emeritus Hiroo Kanamori, Mori has supported the next generation of seismologists through his work as chair and devoted promoter of the SSA Kanamori Fund. The fund provides SSA Annual Meeting travel grants to international researchers and helps support networking and mentoring opportunities for student and early-career members.