Governing Council & Executive Committee

The Governing Council is the ruling body of the ISC. Representatives of the member institutions meet in alternate years, in conjunction with IUGG and IASPEI Assemblies. The Council elects a Chairperson and members of an Executive Committee from its ranks.

The Governing Council Chair makes urgent policy decisions between meetings of the full Council. The current Chair (since 2021) is Prof. Göran Ekström of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, representing the National Science Foundation of USA.


The Executive Committee guides the ISC in implementation of policies defined by the full Governing Council. It consists of up to 6 voting members elected from the Governing Council, and ex officio members representing IASPEI and the ISC's host institution. The current members of the Executive Committee are

Name Institution Position Elected Step Down
Prof. John Woodhouse Royal Society, U.K. Chair, Elected member 2017
(1996)
2027
Dr. Seiji Tsuboi JAMSTEC, Japan Elected member 2019 2025
Assoc. Prof. Yanru An China Earthquake Administration Elected member 2021 2027
Dra. Xyoli Pérez-Campos UNAM, Mexico Elected member 2021 2027
Dr. Martin Vallée IPGP/CNRS, France Elected member 2023 2029
Adrienne Moseley Geoscience Australia Elected member 2023 2029
Dr. Johannes Schweitzer NORSAR, Norway Ex officio, IASPEI 2017
(2009)
Prof. Mike Kendall University of Oxford, U.K. Ex officio, Host Institution 2021


Former Chairs of the Governing Council

Name Institution Position Elected Step Down
John Adams Natural Resources Canada Chair of Governing Council 2005 2021
Adam Dziewonski Harvard University, USA Chair of Governing Council 1998 2005
David Denham Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics, Australia Chair of Governing Council 1995 1998
Hans-Peter Harjes BGR, Germany Chair of Governing Council 1985 1994
Stephan Mueller ETH, Switzerland Chair of Governing Council 1975 1985
John H Hodgson Dept. Energy, Mines and Resources, Canada Chair of Governing Council 1970 1975


Former members of the ISC Executive Committee

Name Institution Position Elected Step Down
Prof. Francois Beauducel IPGP/CNRS, France Elected member 2019 2023
Dr. Yuri Vinogradov Geophysical Survey, Russian Academy of Science, Russia Elected member 2019 2023
Prof. Marcelo Assumpção University of São Paulo, Brazil Elected member 2015 2021
Prof. Goran Ekström Columbia University / National Science Foundation, USA Chair, Elected member 2015 2021
Prof. Karin Sigloch University of Oxford, U.K. Ex officio, Host Institution 2017 2021
Prof. Kenji Satake Earthquake Research Institute (ERI), University of Tokyo, Japan Chair, Elected member 2013 2019
Dr. Bertrand Delouis GeoAzur - Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, CNRS - Université de Nice Sophia Antipoli, France Elected member 2013 2019
Prof. Peter Suhadolc University of Trieste, Italy Ex officio, IASPEI 2015 2017
Prof. T Guy Masters Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, U.S.A. Chair, Elected member 2005 2015
Dr. R.S. Dattatrayam Indian Meteorological Department Elected member 2011 2015
Dr. Oleg Starovoit Geophysical Survey, Russian Academy of Sciences Ex officio, IASPEI 1995 2015
Dr. Gary Gibson Seismology Research Centre, Australia Elected member 2001/07 2013
Qi-Fu Chen China Earthquake Administration Elected member 2005 2011
Jarka Plomerova Czech Academy Sciences Elected member 2004 2009
Chris Browitt Royal Society, UK Elected member, Exec. Chairman 2000 2005
Adam Dziewonskii Harvard University, USA Elected member, Exec. Chairman, Chair GC 1991 2005
Akio Yoshida JMA, Japan Elected member 1998 2003
Jens Havskov University of Bergen, Norway Elected member, Exec. Chairman 1995 2001
Andrea Morelli Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica, Italy Elected member 1994 1999
David Denham Bureau of Mineral Resources, Australia Elected member, Exec. Chairman 1985 1997
Chen Yong State Seismological Bureau, China Elected member 1991 1997
Nadia V Kondorskaya Academy of Sciences, USSR Elected member, ex officio, IASPEI 1970 1995
Georges Poupinet LGIT, CNRS, France Elected member 1989 1995
E.R. (Bob) Engdahl University of Colorado, USA/NSF Elected member, Exec. Chairman 1984 1991
Edgar Kausel Universidad de Chile Elected member 1981 1989
Michael J Berry Geological Survey of Canada Elected member, Exec. Chairman 1981 1987
Anton L Hales Australian National University/US NSF Elected member, Exec. Chairman, ex officio 1970 1983
Ola Dahlman National Defence Research Institute, Sweden Elected member 1979 1981
Vit Karnik Geophysical Institute, Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic Elected member, Exec. Chairman, ex officio, IASPEI 1978 1981
Shigeji Suyehiro JMA, Japan Elected member 1973 1980
Jack Oliver Lamont Obs. University of Columbia, USA Elected member, Exec. Chairman 1975 1978
Hal Thirlaway AWE, UK Elected member, Exec. Chairman 1970 1975
Eugene T Herrin, Jnr. NSF and Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA Elected member 1970 1973
Trevor J Halsall University of Reading, UK Ex officio, Host Institution 1985 1995
Clive McCann University of Reading, UK Ex officio, Host Institution 1977 1984
James M Davidson University of Edinburgh, UK Ex officio, Host Institution 1974 1976
Robert Seaton University of Edinburgh, UK Ex officio, Host Institution 1971 1973
Chris R Argent Royal Society, UK Honorary Secretary 1970 2000
Graham Sutton University of Reading, UK Honorary Treasurer 1997 2000
John T Mulholland University of Reading, UK Honorary Treasurer 1979 1997