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In Memoriam: Ilya Zaliapin (1973-2023)

Date: 05/19/2023

Dear SCEC Community,

Professor Ilya Zaliapin passed away unexpectedly on May 2, 2023, in Reno Nevada. Ilya made deep and broad contributions to statistical seismology, and more generally to quantitative descriptions of evolving branching networks and events in hierarchical geomorphologic and lithospheric systems. He was a long-term active participant of SCEC and a member of the Science Planning Committee of SCEC during 2012-2016.

Ilya was a remarkable person with a rare combination of being incredibly bright, and at the same time extremely kind and modest. He was always positive and always willing to help, especially to students and early career researchers. I was very fortunate to interact with him closely in the last 15 years, and to know him not only professionally but also at a personal level. His untimely passing is a huge loss to everyone who knew him and the community, but his light will continue to shine and be a source of inspiration.

The background and contributions of Professor Ilya Zaliapin to science and the community are described in more detail in https://iugg.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Zaliapin_obituary_CMG_webpage.pdf

Yehuda Ben-Zion