The Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society was founded in 2016 by Dr. Lucy Jones after more than three decades of public service as a seismologist with the US Geological Survey. The Center’s mission is to activate the use of science in the creation of more resilient communities. As of November 2026, this work is primarily conducted through Caltech’s Center for Disaster Resilience, with Dr. Jones as Founding Director.
Visit the new Caltech Center for Disaster Resilience
Promoting Science in Action
Working with both public and private sectors, the Center increases communities’ ability to adapt and be resilient to the dynamic changes in the surrounding world. We help scientists become better communicators of their results and help decision-makers understand how they can partner with scientists and use results of scientific studies to make better informed and strategic decisions. Science by itself cannot improve society – its products need to be used in making better decisions.
Our Approach
The Center focuses on activities that further actual risk reduction. Working across the United States, our aim is to understand and communicate where the greatest vulnerabilities lie and what actions can be taken to reduce the risks that are the most impactful and cost-effective.
Engagement, Empowerment, & Training
The Center works with partners that want to bring science into their communities and support them in using the information. The Center leads the Science Activation Symposium, as well as workshops and trainings, to develop the capacity of scientists to help their expertise inform decision-making by non-scientists. Further, Dr. Jones is engaging with the artistic community to explore ways in which the arts can engage with the science to increase action.