The following University of California, Davis, faculty are available to comment on various aspects of earthquakes and their effects. Please keep an eye out for additions to this list on our News and Information page. The source list will be listed on the right under resources for the media.

Earthquakes, faults, geology

John Rundle, distinguished professor of physics, can discuss the causes of earthquakes, why they occur where they do, and how we can forecast where earthquakes are most likely to occur in the future. With colleagues at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Rundle developed the "Virtual California" earthquake forecast. He also co-founded a startup company, the Open Hazards Group, that produces earthquake forecasts including a mobile app. Contact: (530) 400-4970 (cell), jbrundle@ucdavis.edu.

Michael Oskin is a professor of earth and planetary sciences who studies earthquakes and seismicity. He has carried out studies of the faults involved in the earthquakes that struck Haiti and Mexicali, just south of the U.S. border, in 2010. Contact: (530) 400-8595, meoskin@ucdavis.edu.

Businesses and loss

Robert Smiley, dean emeritus of the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, can talk about the business side of the wine loss. Read more about him. Contact: (530) 304-1048 (cell), rhsmiley@ucdavis.edu.

David Block, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology,  is a chemical engineer and an expert in the winemaking process. He can talk about the technical considerations of wine storage in barrels and other factors.  Read more about him. Contact: (530) 752-0381, deblock@ucdavis.edu.

Napa and the earthquake’s effects on wineries

Alison Crowe, a UC Davis alum who is a winemaker, is director of winemaking for Plata Wine Partners (formed in 2005). She also is a winemaker for Garnet Vineyards, a small cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay brand. (She earned her bachelor's degree in fermentation science and an MBA from UC Davis.) She lives two blocks from the downtown area and saved stacks of wine barrels in a Sonoma winery using forklifts. She can comment on the significance of the wine loss. Contact: (707) 261-8720 (work), (707) 363-9825 (cell), alison@swgnapa.com.

The history of California winemaking

James Lapsley, adjunct assistant professor, Agricultural Issues Center, and formerly with the Department of Viticulture and Enology, is a former winery owner/operator and is author of the book "Bottled Poetry," which covers the history of California winemaking. Contact: (530) 752-2388, jtlapsley@ucdavis.edu.