CCEE Postdoc Chunyang Ji wins Paul Andrew Spudich, Travel Grant
CCEE Postdoctoral Researcher Chunyang Ji received the Paul Andrew Spudich Travel Grant from the Seismological Society of America (SSA). The grant, named for pioneering seismologist Paul Andrew Spudich, is offered exclusively to early-career and student members whose research focuses on earthquake source physics or ground motion prediction.
“It’s an honor to be one of the very first recipients of the Paul Andrew Spudich Grant. This award has encouraged me to continue pursuing a career in the fields of seismology and earthquake engineering,” Ji said. “This experience has shown me that SSA is such a supportive community. One day I hope to pass the support I have received to others.”
Ji, whose research focuses on the modeling and assessment of high-frequency ground motions, used her $2,000 grant toward travel to the 8th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering (8ICEGE) in Osaka, Japan in May. She said she was excited to visit the seismically active country, a longtime source of earthquake data used in her research.
“One of the most memorable parts of the meeting was the opportunity to interact with giants in geotechnical earthquake engineering,” she said “I had the chance to say hi and take a picture with the legend, Professor Kenji Ishihara. Moreover, I met many talented female researchers and professors who are inspiring role models.”
At the conference, Ji presented her paper “Current Limitations of Near-Surface Attenuation Modeling at High Frequencies,” one of her recent studies on the limitations and challenges in near-surface attenuation characterization at high frequencies.
“My research project lies at the intersection of engineering seismology and geotechnical earthquake engineering. The topic I presented at 8ICEGE focused more on engineering seismology, and I was delighted to introduce the significance and importance of high-frequency seismic attenuation modeling to geotechnical and earthquake engineers,” Ji said. “This experience also confirmed my desire to contribute to bridging the gap between geotechnical engineering and engineering seismology, which I would like to pursue for my long-term career.”