National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program

David Applegate
Associate Director for Natural Hazards
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
905 National Center
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 111
Reston, VA, 20192
(703) 648-6600
applegate@usgs.gov

David Applegate is the associate director for natural hazards at USGS. In this position, he oversees the recently established Natural Hazards Mission Area, which includes the bureau's geologic hazards and coastal and marine programs. He also coordinates the bureau’s long-term planning and disaster response activities across a broad range of natural hazards. He also co-chairs the National Science and Technology Council's interagency Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction.

Applegate came to USGS in 2004 as the first senior science advisor for earthquake and geologic hazards, a position he held until taking his current position in May 2011. Prior to joining USGS, Applegate worked at the American Geological Institute as director of government affairs and editor of Geotimes, AGI's newsmagazine of the earth sciences (now renamed Earth). Before that, he served with the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources as the American Geophysical Union's Congressional Science Fellow and as a professional staff member.

Education:
Ph.D. Geology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
B.S. Geology, Yale University