Brian Tucker (seismologist)

Tucker received a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, an M.A. in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a B.A. in Physics from Pomona College.

Tucker advocates for the creation of self-reliant communities that can continue their economic, political and cultural development unimpeded by natural disasters.{{cite web | url=http://geohaz.org/about/index.html | title=Our Vision | publisher=GeoHazards International | accessdate=7 August 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150804202400/http://geohaz.org/about/index.html | archive-date=2015-08-04 | url-status=dead }} Tucker has written or edited three books to raise awareness of geologic threats to communities{{cite web|url=https://www.geosociety.org/GSA_Connection/0709/pr_CRDF.pdf|title=Protecting the World's Most Vulnerable Communities from Earthquakes: Dr. Brian Tucker to Receive Prestigious George Brown Award in Washington, DC | publisher=CRDF|accessdate=19 January 2011}}

After observing the tragic consequences of an earthquake in Tajikistan{{cite web|url=http://www.agiweb.org/geotimes/oct02/WebExtra100402.html|title=Seismologist wins 'Genius Grant'|last=Peterson|first=Greg|date=4 October 2002|publisher=GeoTimes|accessdate=19 January 2011}} in 1991, Tucker founded GeoHazards International (GHI), a Menlo Park, California-based nonprofit organization focused on working with the world’s most vulnerable people to develop and deploy preventative solutions that are known to save lives. GHI works through a global network of people dedicated to reducing the risks of death and injury caused by earthquakes and other natural disasters in needy, at-risk countries by sharing and promoting civil engineering principles and connecting local experts, engineers, scientists, and government officials with their counterparts abroad.{{cite web|url=http://geohaz.org/projects/index.html | title=Our Projects | publisher=GeoHazards International | accessdate= 7 August 2015}} Through their work, GHI works to bring risk-mitigation techniques that are common in developed countries, but often unused in developing countries, and adapt the techniques to fit within the social, political, and economic constraints in some of the most at-risk communities in the world.{{cite web|url=http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/down-earth-brian-tucker | title=Down to Earth with: Brian Tucker | last=Thompson | first=Jay R. | date=27 April 2015 | publisher=EARTH, American Geosciences Institute | accessdate=7 August 2015}}

In the aftermath of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake, its May aftershock, and other later aftershocks, Tucker was interviewed by numerous media outlets to discuss the lessons that geoscientists, local and national politicians, decision makers, and the general public could learn from the earthquake.{{cite web|url=https://eos.org/articles/what-can-we-learn-about-disaster-preparedness-from-nepals-quake63 | title=What Can We Learn About Disaster Preparedness from Nepal's Quake? | last=Showstack | first=Randy | date=5 May 2015 | publisher=Eos: Earth & Space Science News | accessdate= 7 August 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/science/trying-to-stay-ahead-of-earthquake-disasters.html?_r=0 | title=Trying to Stay Ahead of Earthquake Disasters | last=Chang | first=Kenneth | date= 4 May 2015 | work=New York Times | accessdate= 7 August 2015}} In the mid-1990s, GHI helped set up a local non-profit in the region, the National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal, and these organizations implemented a series of preventative measures many years before the earthquakes that saved an undetermined number of lives in the disaster. These included developing an earthquake scenario describing expected consequences on modern-day Kathmandu, forming an action plan with local stakeholders and international earthquake professionals to reduce the consequences outlined in the scenario, establishing demonstration projects (including the inauguration of an annual Nepal Earthquake Safety Day held each year on January 15), and seismically retrofitting schools while training local masons.{{cite web | url = http://www.nset.org.np/esd/ | title = Celebrating Earthquake Safety Day | publisher = NSET-Nepal | accessdate = 7 August 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150912092336/http://www.nset.org.np/esd/ | archive-date = 12 September 2015 | url-status = dead }}{{cite web|url=https://eos.org/articles/reducing-earthquake-risk-in-nepal | title=Reducing Earthquake Risk in Nepal | last=Showstack | first=Randy | date=7 May 2015 | publisher=Eos: Earth & Space Science News | accessdate= 7 August 2015}}

Prior to his work with GHI, Tucker served as the acting state geologist, principal state geologist and supervising geologist of the California Geological Survey between 1982 and 1991. He served on the board of directors of the Seismological Society of America and the World Seismic Safety Initiative (WSSI).

Tucker received the 2001 Gorakha Dakshin Bahu Award for service to the people of Nepal by the King of Nepal{{cite web | url = http://geohaz.org/people_tucker | title = Our People: Brian Tucker | publisher = GeoHazards International | accessdate = 7 August 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150429130238/http://geohaz.org/people_tucker | archive-date = 29 April 2015 | url-status = dead }} and was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2002 by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.{{cite web | url = https://www.macfound.org/press/press-releases/twenty-four-macarthur-fellows-for-2002/ | title = Twenty-Four MacArthur Fellows For 2002 | date = 25 September 2002 | publisher = MacArthur Foundation | accessdate = 7 August 2015}}{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/25/arts/winners-of-macarthur-grants-announced.html | title = Winners of MacArthur Grants Announced | last = Lee | first = Felicia R. | work = New York Times | date = 25 September 2002 | accessdate = 7 August 2015}} In 2007, Tucker was named a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences.{{cite web | url = http://www.calacademy.org/sites/default/files/assets/docs/pdf/fellows_fy2015.pdf | title = Complete List of Academy Fellows | publisher = California Academy of Sciences | accessdate = 7 August 2015}} Also that year, he received the George Brown Award for International Scientific Cooperation from the U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation.{{cite web|url=https://www.geosociety.org/GSA_Connection/0709/pr_CRDF.pdf|title=Protecting the World's Most Vulnerable Communities from Earthquakes: Dr. Brian Tucker to Receive Prestigious George Brown Award in Washington, DC | publisher=CRDF|accessdate=19 January 2011}}{{cite web | url = http://www.crdfglobal.org/about-us/annual-awards-gala/profile/2011/07/22/dr-brian-tucker | title = Profile: Dr. Brian Tucker | publisher = CRDF Global | date = 22 July 2011 | accessdate = 7 August 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150923211009/http://www.crdfglobal.org/about-us/annual-awards-gala/profile/2011/07/22/dr-brian-tucker | archive-date = 23 September 2015 | url-status = dead }} In 2009, he was named one of UC San Diego's 100 Influential Alumni.{{cite web |url=http://geohaz.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Padang-Tsunami-Evacuation-Park-Overview-Feb-25-2015.pdf |title=Overview of Padang Tsunami Evacuation Park |date=25 February 2015 |publisher=GeoHazards International |accessdate=7 August 2015 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Reflist | 2}}

• [http://www.macfound.org/fellows/699/ MacArthur Fellows Program: Brian Tucker] from MacArthur Foundation
• [http://www.geohaz.org/ GeoHazards International]
• [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/jan/14/preparing-for-earthquakes-building-safety Guardian Op-ed by Brian Tucker: The Haiti Quake must not be dismissed as an ‘act of God’]
• [http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/when-prevention-is-better-than-relief Peter Singer Profile of GHI Work in Indonesia: When Prevention is Better than Relief]
• [https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1239236 Article in Science Magazine: Reducing Earthquake Risk]

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Category:Living people

Category:MacArthur Fellows

Category:American seismologists

Category:Pomona College alumni

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

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Category:University of California, San Diego alumni

Category:Harvard Kennedy School alumni