Thomas H. Jordan Recognized for His Outstanding Contribution to the Public Understanding of the Geosciences

Alexandria, VA - The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is pleased to announce Dr. Thomas H. Jordan as the 2012 winner of the Outstanding Contribution to the Public Understanding of the Geosciences Award. Professor Jordan is recognized for his contributions to science and his efforts to increase public awareness of earthquake processes, probabilities, preparedness, and risk at an international level.

Jordan received his degrees in Geophysics (B.S. 1969, M.S. 1970) and Geophysics and Applied Mathematics (Ph.D., 1972) from the California Institute of Technology. He has taught at Princeton University and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Jordan served as the head of MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences from 1988-1998 before moving to the University of Southern California in 2000.

Professor Jordan has participated in extensive collaborative efforts at all levels of society, including efforts with various government officials, engineers, and other professionals to broaden public understanding of earthquakes. Through his role as Director of the Southern California Earthquake Center and chair of the International Commission on Earthquake Forecasting for Civil Protection, Jordan has eloquently communicated the importance of earthquake literacy and preparedness around the world. AGI is honored to present Dr. Jordan with this esteemed award.

The Outstanding Contribution to the Public Understanding of the Geosciences Award is presented to a person, organization, or institution in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the public understanding of geoscience. The contribution may be in geoscience as a science or in geoscience as it relates to economic or environmental aspects of modern civilization.