In Memoriam: Professor Patricia Alvarado, A Great Scientist, Department of Geosciences Alumna and dear friend to many.
We have lost a dear friend and colleague, Professor Patricia Alvarado (age 55) who passed away after battling a long illness. Dr. Alvarado received her PhD in 2006 from the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arizona where she studied seismology. She then returned to San Juan, Argentina where she became a Professor at the National University of San Juan and CONICET, and more recently she was appointed by the government of Argentina as Director of INPRES (National Institute for Seismic Prevention). INPRES is responsible for earthquake monitoring and hazards across all of Argentina. Dr. Alvarado was the first woman ever to be named Director at INPRES and she was committed to improving earthquake hazards in Argentina. Dr. Alvarado was awarded the 2012 L'Oréal UNESCO Prize "For Women in Science" for her work on earthquakes and hazards.
Dr. Alvarado was a good friend to the Department and an amazing seismologist dedicated to her students and helping others. Dr. Alvarado continued to collaborate on projects in Argentina with many faculty in our department including the ongoing NSF TANGO project until her death. She will always be a member of our Geosciences family. Our thoughts go out to her husband Mauro Saez, her kids and her extended family and friends around the world.