05 August 2024 –A $10,000 gift from Paul Andrew Spudich’s sister, Suzanne, to the Paul Andrew Spudich Fund has expanded its travel grant offerings for early-career and student members. Providing the biggest boost to the fund since its 2023 launch, the new gift will help SSA reach its goal of $200,000 so that it may provide two full $3,500 grants each year.
The fund, SSA’s newest support system for future seismologists, was established last September to honor the life and accomplishments of Paul Andrew Spudich (1950-2019), a beloved member of the Society. Travel grants in his name are offered to members whose research focuses on earthquake source physics or ground motion prediction–areas Spudich made important contributions to during his distinguished career as a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
Chunyang Ji, a postdoctoral scholar at North Carolina State University, and Ilma del Carmen Juarez-Garfias, a doctoral student at Victoria University of Wellington, were the first to receive the grants in March. Ji’s grant enabled her to attend the 8th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering in Osaka, Japan in May. Juarez-Garfias used her grant to participate in the 7th edition of the school on Passive Imaging & Monitoring in Wave Physics: From Seismology to Ultrasound in Corsica, France in June.
The inaugural recipients received feedback on their research, made new connections in the global seismological community and expressed gratitude to every donor who helped make their career-advancing experiences possible. “SSA is such a supportive community,” Ji said. “One day I hope to pass the support I have received to others.”
The latest gift follows other contributions from donors who have welcomed the opportunity to honor Spudich while helping others. One expressed excitement “to see Paul’s legacy being passed on to a new generation of young scientists.” Another wrote to say, “Supporting the SSA mission and helping student and early-career scientists is truly rewarding.”
SSA invites gifts of any amount to The Paul Andrew Spudich Fund to help us continue to guide and support new seismologists for many years to come.
DONATE TO THE PAUL ANDREW SPUDICH FUND