Paul Segall named chair of Geophysics Department

Paul Segall, the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Professor of Geophysics, has been named chair of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability’s Department of Geophysics, effective Sept. 1, 2025. 

Born in California, Segall obtained BS and MS degrees in Earth sciences from Case Western Reserve University in 1976. He earned a PhD in geology at Stanford in 1981, then worked at the United States Geological Survey as a geologist for 12 years. He joined the Stanford geophysics faculty in 1993.

Segall has devoted his career to advancing understanding of earthquake and volcanic processes. He is an expert in crustal deformation and fault mechanics and has developed and tested physics-based models of active plate boundaries, the nucleation of earthquakes, slow slip events, induced seismicity, and the physics of magma migration leading to volcanic eruptions. 

“What drew me to the field as a young person was the successful prediction of an earthquake in China in 1975 that was thought to have saved 100,000 people’s lives in the city of Haicheng in Northern China,” Segall said. “As a junior in college at the time, I thought, ‘Well, how cool is that – you can use physics and knowledge of the Earth to save people’s lives. That’s what I want to do.’”

Over the past three decades at Stanford, Segall has served the university in numerous ways, including on committees for admissions, computing, graduate studies, and more. He has advised undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers. In addition to teaching about volcanoes, seismology, and deformation to Stanford students, Segall has embraced opportunities to deliver international lectures and provide professional development for teachers. Among his many accolades are fellowships with the Geological Society of America and the American Geophysical Union, and membership with the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Faculty in the Geophysics Department explore a wide range of topics, including physical and theoretical modeling of Earth, its subsurface, and other planetary bodies. While some are passionate about applying knowledge to solutions, others pursue the fundamental science of understanding geophysical processes.

“We have this shared set of tools – in a sense we have a common language, in that we all understand the physical laws that govern processes. And some of us are more experimentalists, some are more theoretically inclined,” Segall said. “But there’s this fundamental thread that binds us together, this intellectual framework that we have and share that allows us to be able to talk and collaborate with one another.”

Segall succeeds Professor Rosemary Knight as chair, who has led the department since January 2023, soon after the department was moved from the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences to the newly launched Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. 

“What was really important to me was that geophysics faculty and students recognized not only the opportunity but also the responsibility to define geophysics in the context of the new school,” Knight said. “And to ensure that everyone recognizes the critical role that geophysics can play – and has to play – not only in advancing our basic understanding of Earth and other planets, but also in issues of sustainability and life on this planet.”

In the wake of pandemic lockdowns, Knight rebuilt a thriving in-person departmental culture, created a shared field equipment facility, developed a research and teaching effort called “Taking the Pulse of the Planet,” and shepherded faculty hires and promotions that will shape the future of the department. She formed a department advisory group with a student, postdoc, and staff representative from each research group, and bolstered the department’s intranet to promote consistency in processes and accessibility to information. Knight has also been a champion for faculty governance and transparency.

“I’m delighted to see Paul already showing such interest in taking on the role of chair of the department,” Knight said. “He will be a very thoughtful leader – he cares deeply about the success of this department and the success of individuals within the department.”

Segall will serve a three-year term as chair, a position that includes a seat with Faculty Governance, leaders that help steer the direction of the school. Associate Professor Dustin Schroeder will continue in his role as associate chair.

“I hope to do whatever is possible to protect and support the junior faculty and early career researchers more generally who might be under challenges in terms of their careers and funding and so forth,” Segall said. “This seemed like an important time to be able to do whatever is possible to help.”