Keiiti Aki
Encyclopedia
was a professor
of Geophysics
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), seismologist, author
and mentor
. He co-authored with Paul G. Richards
, "Quantitative Seismology: theory and methods".
Aki was born in Yokohama
, Japan. He received his bachelors and doctorate degree from the University of Tokyo
and then did post-doctoral research at the California Institute of Technology
.
Aki was very active in his field and was the president or chair of many organizations. He was the president of Seismological Section of the AGU
, president of the Seismological Society of America
, and Chair of the NAS
Committee on Seismology. He was instrumental in the creation of the Southern California Earthquake Center
, headquartered at the University of Southern California
, in 1991.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Geophysics
Geophysics
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT), seismologist, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
. He co-authored with Paul G. Richards
Paul G. Richards
Paul G. Richards is an English-born, American seismologist who has made fundamental contributions to the theory of seismic wave link propagation and in methods to understand how the recorded shapes of seismic waves are affected by processes of diffraction, attenuation and scattering...
, "Quantitative Seismology: theory and methods".
Aki was born in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan. He received his bachelors and doctorate degree from the University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
and then did post-doctoral research at the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
.
Aki was very active in his field and was the president or chair of many organizations. He was the president of Seismological Section of the AGU
American Geophysical Union
The American Geophysical Union is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting of over 50,000 members from over 135 countries. AGU's activities are focused on the organization and dissemination of scientific information in the interdisciplinary and international field of geophysics...
, president of the Seismological Society of America
Seismological Society of America
The Seismological Society of America is an international society devoted to the advancement of seismology and its applications in understanding and mitigating earthquake hazards and in imaging the structure of the Earth....
, and Chair of the NAS
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
Committee on Seismology. He was instrumental in the creation of the Southern California Earthquake Center
Southern California Earthquake Center
The Southern California Earthquake Center , headquartered at the University of Southern California, was founded in 1991 with a mission to:* gather new information about earthquakes in Southern California;...
, headquartered at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, in 1991.
Honors received
- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and SciencesThe American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
(1973) - Election to the U.S. National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
(1979) - Medal of Seismological Society of AmericaSeismological Society of AmericaThe Seismological Society of America is an international society devoted to the advancement of seismology and its applications in understanding and mitigating earthquake hazards and in imaging the structure of the Earth....
(1986) - Thorarinsson MedalThorarinsson MedalThe Thorarinsson Medal is awarded by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior for outstanding contributions to the general field of volcanology, and is the highest award given by IAVCEI. It is named for the noted Icelandic geologist and volcanologist...
from the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's InteriorInternational Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's InteriorThe International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, or IAVCEI, is an association that represents the primary international focus for research in volcanology, efforts to mitigate volcanic disasters, and research into closely related disciplines, such as igneous...
(2000) - William Bowie MedalWilliam Bowie MedalThe William Bowie Medal is awarded annually by the American Geophysical Union for 'outstanding contributions to fundamental geophysics and for unselfish cooperation in research"...
of the American Geophysical UnionAmerican Geophysical UnionThe American Geophysical Union is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting of over 50,000 members from over 135 countries. AGU's activities are focused on the organization and dissemination of scientific information in the interdisciplinary and international field of geophysics...
(2004) - Beno Gutenberg Medal of the European Geosciences UnionEuropean Geosciences UnionThe European Geosciences Union is an interdisciplinary non-profit learned society open to individuals who are professionally engaged in or associated with geosciences, planetary and space sciences, and related studies.The mission statement of the EGU is "Dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in...
(2005)