Many EERI members know how Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills encourage people to practice “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” and other earthquake safety guidance. But behind that now widely recognized effort is a larger story about public engagement, preparedness, and mitigation, and one that Mark Benthien, M.EERI 2000, has helped lead for decades.
March 2026 marked Mark’s 30th anniversary at the Statewide California Earthquake Center (SCEC), headquartered at the University of Southern California (SCEC transitioned from “Southern” to “Statewide” in 2024). His connection to EERI goes back just as far. In fact, he was interviewed for his first role at SCEC/USC during the 1996 EERI Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Building on his degrees in Applied Geophysics (BS, UCLA) and Public Policy (MPP, USC), over three decades Mark has helped shape the way earthquake science is shared with the public, turning research into action through outreach, partnerships, and preparedness programs.
One of the most visible results of that work is ShakeOut. Launched in 2008 as the Great Southern California ShakeOut, it began as a regional effort based on the ShakeOut Scenario for a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault, which was led by Dr. Lucy Jones (USGS). Today, ShakeOut is held annually, with International ShakeOut Day taking place on the third Thursday of October, although people and organizations can participate on any other day. In 2026, that date falls on October 15. The drill was created not simply as an exercise, but as a way to engage millions of people in earthquake safety by applying the social science research findings of Dr. Dennis Mileti (a key mentor of Mark), Dr. Michele Wood, and others for how to motivate people to take steps that reduce risk before disasters occur.
That broader focus has always been central to Mark’s work. Many of his efforts are in coordination with members of the Earthquake Country Alliance (ECA), for which Mark serves as Executive Director. With support from FEMA and Cal OES, this private-public-grassroots partnership of people and organizations provides earthquake information and safety guidance (now in 18 languages), coordinates the California ShakeOut, and organizes workshops and other activities year-round. Through ECA and other partnerships, Mark has emphasized that preparedness is not only about knowing what to do during an earthquake, but also about mitigation, strengthening buildings, securing contents, improving plans, and building a culture of resilience across communities.
Under his leadership, ShakeOut has grown from a Southern California initiative into a national (with FEMA support) and international movement involving millions of participants each year. In 2012, Mark was recognized for this work by the White House as a “Champion of Change.” Just recently, Mark has been invited to serve as technical advisor for a new United Nations campaign for earthquake safety drills, coinciding with the new International Day in Memory of Victims of Earthquakes to be held each April 29. The campaign will encourage people, organizations, and governments to hold drills, and will further expand global participation in ShakeOut.
As Mark suggests, “All EERI members and chapters should use ShakeOut as an opportunity to get involved. Please use it as a reason to organize local activities, encourage company planning, promote mitigation and preparedness, or connect technical knowledge with community action. The ShakeOut Drill occurs in most places in October, so now is the perfect time to start discussing possible activities with your company, organization, or chapter.”
Mark currently serves as Associate Director for Public Education and Preparedness at SCEC and is also an officer of the EERI Southern California Chapter.
