Earthquake Research Center at UofM Welcomes New Director
Feb. 15, 2024 — The Center for Earthquake Research and Information at the University of Memphis welcomed a new director to start off the new semester. Vadim Levin, PhD, most recently of Rutgers University, will lead the team at CERI, a Tennessee Center of Excellence that monitors earthquake activity in a large part of eastern North America, conducting fundamental research on the causes and consequences of earthquakes including the way temblors happen and the impact they have on society.
Using cutting-edge research and state-of-the-art seismic and geodetic networks, the Center gathers and disseminates technical and practical information to the private and public sectors.
“CERI is a unique institution with a broad range of expertise and an unparalleled depth of experience in both the academic aspects of earthquake science and in marshalling cutting-edge science for the benefit of society,” explained Levin. “It is a privilege to join a group of excellent colleagues, to learn from them and to help the Center fulfill its potential.”
Levin specializes in studies of seismological structure of the Earth with an emphasis on the crust and the upper mantle, where his primary expertise is in complex and creative analysis of seismological observations. His research interests include Earth's crust and upper mantle structure, origin and evolution of continents, subduction zone processes, seismic wave propagation in anisotropic medium and seismic data analysis methods.
He has conducted research around the globe, including in Italy, Tibet, Canada and Costa Rica, while his research has been published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, the International Journal Tectonophysics, the Journal of Geodynamics, The Geological Society of London and Geology among other publications.
CERI researchers work on the theory and the practice of earthquake science. They develop new techniques to probe Earth's interior and to document earthquake processes and build models representing regions prone to seismic activity. The Center's location at the University of Memphis is strategic given its proximity to the historically active New Madrid seismic zone. Its work addresses issues specific to the Mid-South region and those relevant to the Earth.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer Godwin
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