Inception: The First Decade, 1984 - 1994
by James Dorman
The Center for Earthquake Research and Information is the successor of the Tennessee
Earthquake Information Center (TEIC) chartered in 1977 by the Tennessee Legislature
to conduct research on the causes and consequences of earthquakes and provide seismic
safety and mitigation information, reports, background information, and research on
earthquakes and their hazards for citizens and government units.
By 1984, TEIC was performing these functions with a staff of two geophysics faculty members, eight technical and admin employees, and four graduate students, occupying a residence building on Central Avenue, across from the main campus of Memphis State University. Seismograph stations were then operated at 26 sites with support from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
The 1984 Center of Excellence (COE) mandate for expansion was to build the earthquake
research program to a level of international scope and reputation, to establish an
earthquake engineering capability, to establish a regional earthquake hazard and mitigation
resource center, and to establish a geophysics Ph.D. program in MSU's Department of
Geological Sciences. State and Local news releases during the time the Center was
being established are shown here on this page.
Staff and Facilities:
To accomplish the COE goals, nine new faculty members were recruited, seven in geophysics
and two in civil engineering, the permanent non-faculty staff was increased to 14,
the original building was expanded, two more existing residences were occupied and
a new 10,000 sq. ft. prefabricated building was built. A partnership established in
1991 with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provided CERI with additional resources,
including two adjunct faculty members who worked at CERI as full-time participants
in the geophysics program.
|
![]() |