Honors

Seeking to recognize outstanding achievements across scientific disciplines, career stages, institutions and geographic locations, the Honors Program is part of a larger effort to offer equal opportunity to all working toward the SSA mission of advancing seismology worldwide. Aided by the Honors Encouragement Committee, the Society is focused on drawing a diverse pool of nominations for every award category listed below. Additionally, all recipients must demonstrate the high standards of professional ethics required in all SSA activities. To this end, all nominations must include a signed Ethics Disclosure Form. The Society is grateful to all who participate in this important member-driven program. Your nomination packages help SSA continue to celebrate paradigm-shifting research, early-career contributions to the field of seismology and an exemplary commitment to public service.

There are currently four SSA Awards:

• The Harry Fielding Reid Medal
• The Charles F. Richter Early-Career Award
• The Frank Press Public Service Award
• The Distinguished Service Award

In addition, SSA has two awards produced jointly with other organizations:

• The Bruce Bolt Medal, awarded jointly with COSMOS and EERI
• The Joyner Lectureship, awarded jointly with EERI

We honor these award recipients not only for their outstanding contributions to the SSA community and mission, but also for the professional inspiration that they provide to the next generation of seismologists.

View the complete list of past SSA award recipients.

For more information about the rules regarding each award, read our Honors Program Guide.

Annual Deadlines:

Nomination packages for the Distinguished Service Award, Press Award, Richter Award and Reid Medal are due by 30 September, midnight PST. 

Nominations for both the Joyner Lectureship and the Bruce Bolt Medal are due by 30 June. 

SSA Policy for New Awards

SSA awards reflect the Society’s mission and our organizational values. Our community and goals continue to evolve and expand, and the Honors program seeks to recognize all aspects of the global seismological community.

The SSA Board considers proposals for new awards that recognize a unique quality, goal or demographic of the SSA membership. Awards may be named after an individual or carry a descriptive title. New awards can only be named to honor a person after their death, and SSA requires a waiting period of three years for consideration of this distinction. Careful consideration is given such that an individual meets all ethics standards of SSA, and there is a clear link between the person and the SSA organization’s values and goals. A named honor cannot overlap or duplicate awards of any other organization or institution.

New Awards Nomination and Selection Process

All SSA honors are required to follow the nomination requirements and selection process outlined below, unless otherwise specified.

• Nominator must be an SSA member.
• Co-Nominator/Co-Supporter Policy: In addition to a nominator, a nomination package can only have one co-nominator and three supporters
• Supporters are not required to be an SSA member.
• All nominations, nominators, supporters and nominees must follow and uphold the SSA Conflict of Interest Policy (COI) and complete the Ethics Disclosure Form
• Nomination Package Requirements:
  • Nomination letter
  • 2 letters of support
  • If requesting a named award, CV and biography of the honoree

To submit a proposal for consideration, email this completed form and all required supporting documents to awards@seismosoc.org.

All proposals must be submitted by 1 January for consideration at the Spring meeting of the Board of Directors. All questions should be directed to awards@seismosoc.org.