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SCEC ORGANIZATION AND LEADERSHIP

A collaborative leadership team of scientists and other professionals dedicate their considerable expertise and time to guide SCEC’s programs. By-Laws define their roles, responsibilities, and procedures for conducting business.

Organizational Structure

The Statewide California Earthquake Center (SCEC) has adopted a new organizational structure to meet evolving scientific and programmatic needs. This three-branch structure consists of:

  • Center Leadership and Operations branch oversees the day-to-day operations and ensures alignment with the Center’s strategic goals and resources.
  • Center Governance branch guides policy development, ensures adherence to established protocols, oversees management, and fosters stakeholder engagement.
  • Center Science Steering branch sets the Center’s science goals, identifies research priorities, and monitors research progress to ensure innovation and broad societal impact.

The SCEC leadership are a dedicated and diverse group of scientists and professionals representing various career stages and institutions. They guide Center activities by leveraging their expertise in earthquake research, education, administration, and community engagement.

Organizational chart illustrating the structure and leadership of a center, divided into three main sections: Center Science Steering, Center Leadership & Operations, and Center Governance & Stakeholder Engagement. The Center Science Steering includes the Science Steering Committee (SSC) and Proposal Review Committee (PRC), which focus on setting science goals and evaluating project proposals. Center Leadership & Operations consists of the Executive Operations Committee (ExCom) and Center Staff at USC, responsible for strategic direction and daily operations. The Center Governance & Stakeholder Engagement section includes the Board of Directors (BoD) with roles for Board Officers and Institutional Representatives, overseeing management and fostering engagement. The chart also highlights the roles of Major Activity Leaders, Technical Work Groups, the External Advisory Council (EAC), Center Sponsors & Program Officers, and USC Dornsife Administration in supporting the center’s objectives.
Center By-Laws
SCEC Institutions
Community Survey

Recruiting New SCEC Leaders for 2024-2025

SCEC has implemented changes to support its statewide transition, including adjusted focus areas, a new leadership and governance structure, and leadership recruitment in 2024-2025.  Nominate new SCEC Proposal Review Committee now.

Center Leadership and Operations

The Director and Co-Director serve as Principal Investigators and are responsible for managing the grants or contracts that support the Center’s major activities. They are supported by an Executive Operations Committee and full-time staff at USC, SCEC’s lead institution.

Yehuda Ben-Zion
USC

Center Director
ExCom Chair

Greg Beroza
Stanford

Center Co-Director
SSC Chair

Alice Gabriel
UCSD

Proposal Review
Committee Chair

Tim Dawson
CGS

Board of Directors
Chair

Rachel Abercrombie
Boston Univ

Board of Directors
Vice-Chair

Jillian Maloney
SDSU

Board Officer for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Philip Maechling
USC

Associate Director Research Computing & Cyberinfrastructure

Tran Huynh
USC

Associate Director Science Operations

Mark Benthien
USC

Associate Director Public Education & Preparedness

Gabriela Noriega
USC

Assistant Director Experiential Learning & Career Advancement

Executive Operations Committee (ExCom)

Sets strategic direction, guides Center-wide program development, and ensures day-to-day operations align with strategic goals, available resources (funding, personnel, technology), and contractual obligations. 

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Philip Maechling
USC

Associate Director Research Computing

Mei-Hui Su
USC

Computer Scientist Community Earth Models

Fabio Silva
USC

Computer Scientist Quakeworx, BBP, and CSEP

Scott Callaghan
USC

Computer Scientist
CyberShake

Akash Bhatthal
USC

Software Engineer
OpenSHA

Tran Huynh
USC

Associate Director Science Operations

Deborah Gormley
USC

Business Operations
Specialist

Edric Pauk
USC

Research Programmer Community Information System

Phoebe Long
USC

Office Assistant at
SCEC Headquarters, USC

Mark Benthien
USC

Associate Director Public Education & Preparedness

Vanessa Nava
USC

Project Specialist for
Public Education & Preparedness

Edward Salcido
USC

Web Developer for Engagement & Education

Gabriela Noriega
USC

Assistant Director Experiential Learning & Career Advancement

Xaul Starr
USC

Education Specialist for Experiential Learning & Career Advancement

Xiaofeng Meng
USC

Research Associate, Seismic Hazard Analysis

Camilo Ramos
USC

Postdoctoral Scholar, Seismic Hazard Analysis

SCEC Staff and Postdocs at USC Headquarters

A team of 16 staff and postdoc support the broad range of the Center’s activities with expertise in applied science, project management, research administration, education & engagement, software development, and research computing.
VIEW JOB OPENINGS AT USC

Center Governance and Stakeholder Engagement

The SCEC Board of Directors oversees the Center’s management and governance. It includes representatives from core and participating institutions, along with USGS liaisons. A subset of Board members serve as Officers who handle essential functions for Board operations.

Tim Dawson
CGS

Board of Directors
Chair

Rachel Abercrombie
Boston Univ

Board of Directors
Vice-Chair

Daniel Trugman
UNR

Board Officer

Paul Segall
Stanford

Board Officer

Heather Savage
UC Santa Cruz

Board Officer

Andreas Plesch
Harvard

Board Officer

Arthur Rodgers
LLNL

Board Officer

David Oglesby
UC Riverside

Board Officer

Jillian Maloney
San Diego State Univ

Board Officer

Camilla Cattania
MIT

Board Officer

Board of Directors — Officers

Manages critical Center governance activities including Management Oversight, Professional Conduct, Equity Diversity & Inclusion, Leadership Recruitment, Elections and Voting, By-Laws & Governance, Stakeholder Management, and Communications.
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Richard Allen
UC Berkeley

Core Institution Representative

Sylvain Barbot
USC

Core Institution Representative

Camilla Cattania
MIT

Core Institution Representative

Yifeng Cui
SDSC

Core Institution Representative

Tim Dawson
CGS

Core Institution Representative

Ben Duan
Texas A&M

Core Institution Representative

Emily Haddad
ELAC

Core Institution Representative

Martha House
PCC

Core Institution Representative

Chen Ji
UC Santa Barbara

Core Institution Representative

Christos Kyriakopoulos
Univ of Memphis

Core Institution Representative

Jillian Maloney
SDSU

Core Institution Representative

David Oglesby
UC Riverside

Core Institution Representative

Arben Pitarka
LLNL

Core Institution Representative

Andreas Plesch
Harvard

Core Institution Representative

Zach Ross
Caltech

Core Institution Representative

John Rundle
UC Davis

Core Institution Representative

Heather Savage
UC Santa Cruz

Core Institution Representative

Paul Segall
Stanford

Core Institution Representative

Bruce Shaw
Columbia

Core Institution Representative

Peter Shearer
UC San Diego

Core Institution Representative

Jon Stewart
UC Los Angeles

Core Institution Representative

Daniel Trugman
UNR

Core Institution Representative

Rachel Abercrombie
Boston Univ

At-Large Representative

Rowena Lohman
Cornell Univ

At-Large Representative

generic silhouette of person

Firstname Lastname
TBD

At-Large Representative

generic silhouette of person

Firstname Lastname
TBD

At-Large Representative

Ruth Harris
USGS, Moffett Field

USGS Liaison
to SCEC Board

Morgan Moschetti
USGS, Golden

USGS Liaison
to SCEC Board

Kate Scharer
USGS, Moffett Field

USGS Liaison
to SCEC Board

Board of Directors — Institutional Representatives

Participates in the oversight of Center management via the Board of Directors. Appointed by their institutions, they act as liaisons, fostering communication and encouraging institutional engagement in SCEC’s research, education, and outreach activities.
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Center Science Steering

SCEC’s Science Steering Branch guides research by identifying promising new research directions, and engaging the broader scientific community. A Science Steering Committee sets annual science goals and solicits proposals aligned with them. A Proposal Review Committee evaluates these proposals and recommends the portfolio of projects to the Directors and Board for annual funding.

Greg Beroza
Stanford

Science Steering
Committee Chair

Marine Denolle
UW

Science Steering
Committee Member

Ahmed Elbanna
UIUC

Science Steering
Committee Member

Lisa Grant Ludwig
UCI

Science Steering
Committee Member

Mike Floyd
MIT

Science Steering
Committee Member

Nadia Lapusta
Caltech

Science Steering
Committee Member

Philip Maechling
USC

Science Steering
Committee Member

Morgan Moschetti 
USGS

Science Steering
Committee Member

Morgan Page 
USGS

Science Steering
Committee Member

Patricia Persaud
U Arizona

Science Steering
Committee Member

Belle Philibosian
USGS

Science Steering
Committee Member

Alice Gabriel
UCSD

Science Steering
Committee Vice-Chair

Science Steering Committee (SSC)

Monitors research progress, identifies priorities, and sets Center science goals. With input from the SCEC community and leadership, they cultivate new research ideas, and develop the annual science plan guiding proposal submissions to SCEC’s research program.
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Alice Gabriel
UCSD

Proposal Review
Committee Chair

Domniki Asimaki
Caltech

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Ramon Arrowsmith
ASU

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Nick Beeler
USGS

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Scott Callaghan
USC

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Roby Douilly
UCR

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Wenyuan Fan
UCSD

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Gareth Funning
UCR

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Ashley Griffith
Ohio State

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Jeanne Hardebeck
USGS

Proposal Review
Committee Member

George Hilley
Stanford

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Evan Hirakawa
USGS

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Yihe Huang
Michigan

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Karen Luttrell
LSU

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Scott Marshall
Appalachian

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Kathryn Materna
UC Boulder

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Laurent Montesi
Maryland

Proposal Review
Committee Member

John Naliboff
NMMT

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Brian Olson
CGS

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Kim Olsen
SDSU

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Mike Oskin
UC Davis

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Arben Pitarka
LLNL

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Christie Rowe
UNR

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Weisen Shen
Stonybrook

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Mark Stirling
Otago

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Max Werner
Bristol

Proposal Review
Committee Member

Greg Beroza
Stanford

Proposal Review
Committee Vice-Chair

Proposal Review Committee (PRC)

24-30 expert reviewers (representing 12 disciplinary and interdisciplinary focus areas) who evaluate proposals submitted to SCEC, and recommend the annual portfolio of research proposals, trainings, and workshops to fund to the Board, Center Directors, and sponsors to act on.
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Major Activities (MAs) encompass cross-cutting Center efforts that support core operations: SCEC’s current major activities include (1) Earthquake System Science & the San Andreas Fault System, (2) Research Computing & Cyberinfrastructure, (3) Education & Workforce Development, (4) Outreach & Community Engagement, and (5) Collaboration Planning & Program Evaluation.

Technical Work Groups and Task Forces are established to address well-defined scientific inquiries, organizational needs, or specific problems. These groups operate under a defined charge or problem statement, and typically follow a planning process that incorporates external input. Their activities are sunsetted upon achieving their objectives.

Center and Program Evaluation

SCEC’s annual planning process is flexible and community-driven. This process incorporates annual checkpoints to assess risks, program outcomes, and broader impacts. To evaluate our effectiveness in achieving research, education, and engagement goals, SCEC leverages the existing management structure and engages an External Advisory Council.

Steve Bohlen
LLNL

EAC Chair

Tim Cockerill
TACC

EAC Member

Heidi Tremayne
EERI

EAC Member

Francois Renard
Univ of Oslo

EAC Member

Robert Woodward
EarthScope

EAC Member

External Advisory Council (EAC)

Academics, practitioners, and other external stakeholders who evaluate the Center’s broader societal impact and advises on strategies to enhance its sustainability and effectiveness, informing future program development.
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