Emile André Okal
Professional experience
1967-1971 : Physics Major, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
1971-1974 : Agrégé-Préparateur [Assistant Instructor], Physics, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
1974-1978 : Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant,
California Institute of Technology
1975-1977 : Assistant Lecturor in French, California Institute of Technology
1978 : Research Fellow, Seismology, California Institute of Technology
1978-1981 : Assistant Professor, Department of Geology and Geophysics,
Yale University
1981-1983 : Associate Professor, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University
1984-1989 : Associate Professor, Department of Geological Sciences,
Northwestern University
1989-2016 : Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, Northwestern University
2016- : Professor Emeritus, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University
Research Interests
Seismology; Structure of the Earth's interior; Properties of seismic sources;
Marine geosciences; Volcanism; Underwater acoustics; Tsunamis.
Memberships
Seismological Society of America, 1975-
European Geosciences Union, 2013 -
S.L. Solov'ev Medalist, 2013
UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
Roger Revelle Medalist, 2024
American Geophysical Union, 1974 - 2015 [resigned]
Fellow, 2006-2015
Professional Service
Incorporated Research Institutions in Seismology,
Northwestern University Representative, 1988-98.
Member, Global Seismological Network Standing Committee, 1989-91; 2008-2009.
United States Geological Survey Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program
Member, Peer review panel, 1989-1991
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Member, Working Group on a Mars Global Seismic Network, 1990-
Member, Solid Earth and Natural Hazards Program peer review panel, 1999
Natural Science and
Engineering Research Council of Canada
Member, Grant Selection Committee, 1995-1998
Institut de Physique du Globe de
Paris
Member, External visiting evaluation committee, 1992
Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (France)
Member, External visiting evaluation committee, 2010.
International Institute of Seismology and
Earthquake Engineering, Tsukuba, Japan
UNESCO Expert Lecturer, 1991
Editorships
Journal of Geophysical Research,
Associate Editor, 1983-85
Natural Hazards Journal,
Member of Editorial Board, 1987-92
PAGEOPH (Pure and Applied Geophysics),
Editor,
1986-87; Managing Editor, 1988-93
Geophysical Research Letters,
Editor, 1993-1995; Editor-in-Chief, 1996-1997
Field Experience
Director, Midway Island Seismological project, Midway Island, 1988-1992
Principal Investigator, Micronesia Passive Seismic Array,
Federated States of Micronesia and Republic of Nauru, 1994-1996
Member,
International Post Tsunami Survey Team, Sandaun Province,
Papua New Guinea, August 1998
Leader,
Post Tsunami Investigation and Surveying Team, Fatu-Hiva,
Marquesas, French Polynesia, October 1999
Leader,
1946 Tsunami Investigation and Surveying Team,
Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia, Summer 2000; Austral Islands,
French Polynesia, December 2001
Member,
1946 Tsunami Investigation and Surveying Team,
Easter and Juan Fernández Islands, November 2000;
Unimak Island, August 2001
Leader,
International Post Tsunami Survey Team, Southern Peru, July 2001
Member,
Post-Tsunami Survey Team, Isola Stromboli,
June 2003
Member,
1956 Tsunami Investigation and Surveying Team,
Amorgos Island, Greece, August 2003; Astypalea and Anafi Islands, July 2004; Aegean coast, Turkey, September 2004.
Leader,
1956 Tsunami Investigation and Surveying Team,
Folegandros, July 2005
Leader,
2004 Sumatra Tsunami International Post Tsunami Survey Team, Réunion, Rodrigues, Mauritius, March 2005;
Madagascar,
Oman, July-August 2005; Mayotte, Sept. 2006;
Comoros, Sept. 2006 & July 2007; Tanzania, Sept. 2008.
Member,
2004 Sumatra Tsunami International Post Tsunami Survey Team, Socotra
Island, October 2006; South Africa, July 2007.
Leader,
2007 Seno Aysen Tsunami International Post Tsunami Survey Team, Fjord Aysén, Chile, May 2007.
Member,
2009 Samoa International Post Tsunami Survey Team, American Samoa and Samoa,
October 2009; Tonga, November 2009.
Leader,
2010 Maule, Chile International Post Tsunami Survey Team, Marquesas Islands, March and November 2010.
Member,
1969 Rogue Tsunami Field Survey, Dwarskersbos, South Africa, September 2010.
Leader,
1945 Makran Tsunami Field Survey, Southeastern Iran, October 2010.
Member,
2011 Honshu Tsunami Field Survey, Eastern Papua province, Indonesia, July 2011.
Member,
1953 Western Greece Tsunami Field Survey, Ithaca, July 2012 [Leader]; Kefallonia, June 2017.
Leader,
1856 Swan Transform Tsunami Field Survey, Omoa, Honduras, July 2013.
Member,
1949 Chios Tsunami Field Survey, Chios, Greece, and Çeşme, Turkey, July 2015.
Student Advising
Ph.D. Advisor to
Lisa M. Stewart, Yale University, 1983
† Bong-Gon Jo, Yale University, 1986
Paul R. Lundgren, Northwestern University, 1988
Michael E. Wysession, Northwestern University, 1991
Mark T. Woods, Northwestern University, 1993
Wei-chuang Huang, Northwestern University, 1996
W. Philip Richardson, Northwestern University, 1998
Po-fei Chen, Northwestern University, 2002
Carl Ebeling, Northwestern University, 2012
Amir Salaree, Northwestern University, 2019
Nooshin Saloor, Northwestern University, 2020
Publications
279 peer-reviewed publications
Languages
French: Mother Tongue
English: Fluent
Italian: Excellent
Spanish: Read and heard; spoken fair
Slovak: Read and heard; spoken fair
Russian: Read, heard, spoken, written fair
Various other slavic languages: Read fair
This page last updated: 27 JUL (208) 2023, 1218Z
