News Release

Andy Michael honored for distinguished service to Seismological Society of America

USGS geophysicist recognized for transforming BSSA, premier seismology journal

Grant and Award Announcement

Seismological Society of America

San Francisco, April 9, 2012 -- As editor-in-chief of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (BSSA), Andrew J. Michael transformed the journal through innovative refinements in the submission and publication process and by modernizing its operations so that it will continue in the digital age as the premier seismology journal of record.

For his service to the Seismological Society of America (SSA), Michael, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), will be honored with the Distinguished Service to SSA Award at an April 17 ceremony in San Diego.

Having first joined the editorial board of BSSA as an associate editor in 1997, Michael served as editor-in-chief from 2004 to 2010. As the editorial leader of the internationally recognized journal, Michael directed the full editorial operation that included a 33-member international board of associate editors and oversaw a substantial period of growth, providing new publication methods that expanded international scientific communication.

In addition to publishing the six regular issues each year, Michael developed special topical issues, covering the 2004 Parkfield earthquake, 2004 Sumatra-Andaman Islands earthquake, 1906 centennial anniversary, rotational seismology and the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.

Michael was at the helm of BSSA at a critical time. He modernized the Bulletin's operations by leading the implementation of an online submission and peer review system that allowed the growth in the number of submissions each year. He led the move to make the online edition the journal of record, permitting the publication of color figures online with grayscale figures in print, and developed tutorials for authors, making the editorial process user-friendly and efficient.

The transformation led by Michael has had significant impact on scientists, particularly in developing countries, who can now more easily submit their work for consideration by the journal and thereby participate more fully in the international seismology community.

Michael led the journal while also working as a geophysicist at USGS. He currently works on the USGS Earthquake Probabilities and Occurrence Project, the Working Group for California Earthquake Probabilities and is a member of the National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council.

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SSA is a scientific society devoted to the advancement of earthquake science. Founded in 1906 in San Francisco, the Society now has members throughout the world representing a variety of technical interests: seismologists and other geophysicists, geologists, engineers, insurers, and policy-makers in preparedness and safety.


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