Winter 2024 Newsletter

Posted 1 year ago

 

The next I-GUIDE Summer School Leveraging AI for Environmental Sustainability, will take place August 5-9, 2024 at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) campus in Boulder, Colorado.

The NSF I-GUIDE proudly hosts an annual Summer School that champions the spirit of Convergence Science. Each year we bring together a group of the next generation of geospatial scientists and scholars for a week of collaborative learning and problem solving. Participants work in small groups, led by an established scholar or data scientist, to tackle projects related to the annual theme. The 2024 Summer School theme is "Leveraging AI for Environmental Sustainability." Rooted in the belief that some of the most pressing societal issues demand a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach, I-GUIDE provides a unique platform for graduate students and early-career scholars to engage with cutting-edge concepts and methodologies.

I-GUIDE is pleased to announce it's 2024 Summer School and invites applications from prospective participants and team leaders.

Visit the I-GUIDE Website to Learn More about the 2024 Summer School

I-GUIDE invites graduate students, postdocs, and early-career scholars to apply as participants for the 2024 Summer School. All participant application documents must be received by Monday, April 1, 2024 at 11:59pm PT. Decisions will be finalized and all applicants will be notified by Monday, April 22, 2024.

View the Participant Application and Additional Information

NSF I-GUIDE also invites established scholars, academic faculty, and data scientists to apply as team leaders and to submit project proposals for the 2024 Summer School. Project proposals must be received by Monday, April 8, 2024.

View the Call for Team Leaders and Project Proposals

Introducing the UCGIS I-GUIDE 2023-2024 Community Champions

Barbara "Babs" Buttenfield

Professor Emerita

Department of Geography

University of Colorado, Boulder

Eric Money

Associate Director of Educational Innovation

Center for Geospatial Analytics

North Carolina State University

Project Title

Visualizing Uncertainty in Geospatial Data

Project Title

Case Studies in Convergence: Deconstructing Geospatial Connections to Frame Convergent Problems Across Disciplines

The UCGIS I-GUIDE Community Champions program is a unique opportunity for mid- to late-career scholars and educators passionate about geospatial data science and education. Community Champion cohort members support the expansion and community reach of I-GUIDE's initiatives, fostering innovation in the field of geospatial convergence science in the process.

Champions work on small-scale projects aligned with the program's annual theme which this year focuses on refining and applying the I-GUIDE Convergence Curriculum for Geospatial Data Science. Projects can include creating educational materials, case studies, online workshops, interactive modules, community engagement, and more.

Visit the I-GUIDE Website to Learn More About the Community Champions Program

Don't miss the upcoming I-GUIDE Symposium on Geospatial Data Science for Sustainability at the 2024 AAG conference! By focusing on innovative cyberGIS and geospatial data science approaches, the symposium will address pressing sustainability challenges such as aging infrastructure, biodiversity loss, and food and water insecurity.

The event will feature paper and panel sessions as well as workshops exploring topics such as cyberGIS advancements, geospatial artificial intelligence, high-performance computing for geographic problem-solving, multiscale mapping and analysis, and the role of geospatial data science in promoting resilience and sustainability among others.

Visit the I-GUIDE Website for More Information on the Symposium

This VCO will present work completed by Team 1 from the 2023 I-GUIDE Summer School. This team analyzed changes in the location and extent of the wildland urban interface (WUI) in the contiguous US (CONUS) from 2000-2020. Using timeseries landcover data and Microsoft’s building footprints this team produced a novel timeseries of WUI interface and intermix maps consistently across CONUS. They then analyzed the changing extent of the WUI to characterize wildfire risk in the context of social vulnerability, providing useful information relevant for emergency planners.

Click Here for Additional Information and VCO Registration

Introduction to CUAHSI Cloud Computing

Tuesday, March 12, 2024 · 1:00pm US Eastern Time

Join I-GUIDE partner institution, the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI), for a free introductory webinar on CUAHSI's Cloud Computing services. This webinar will cover gaining access to CUAHSI compute services, launching CUAHSI compute, an introduction to capabilities and functionality, integrations with CUAHSI repositories, the API, the HydroShare Python client, and more. There will be time after the presentation for questions and discussion.

Click Here for Additional Information and Registration

Introduction to HydroShare

Tuesday, May 14, 2024 · 1:00pm US Eastern Time

Join CUAHSI May 14th for an introductory HydroShare Webinar. This webinar will cover sharing, storing, collaborating on, and publishing data in HydroShare. We will also cover HydroShare's integration with CUAHSI compute services and new and upcoming HydroShare functionality. This webinar is a perfect opportunity to either learn about HydroShare for the first time or to increase your familiarity with new features.

Additional Information and Registration

Mapping Science: How GIS Transformed Our View of the World

Article from Science Matters by Margaret Pizer for NSF

35 years ago, a pivotal investment from the U.S. National Science Foundation, helped Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to evolve in to the $28 billion industry it is today, and in the process helped to shape the landscape of scientific applications and interdisciplinary approaches to address societal challenges.

As GIS technology, science, and applications have continued to grow, advances in data science, open science, and artificial intelligence are leading to exciting new frontiers. Shaowen Wang, director of I-GUIDE and professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is interviewed and discusses how technological breakthroughs for working with very large and complex spatial datasets have been instrumental to addressing complex real-world problems, such as understanding geographical differences in access to healthcare during the Covid pandemic, prioritizing infrastructure improvement projects, and assessing the impacts of agriculture on water resources.

Read the Full Article on the NSF Science Matters Website

I-GUIDE Team Examines the Vulnerability of Dams across the United States

Article from the University of Illinois Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) by Anjali Yedavalli

I-GUIDE's Vulnerability Analysis of Aging Dam Infrastructure project involves interdisciplinary efforts to address the risks posed by aging dams in the face of unpredictable and extreme rainfall patterns due to global climate change. I-GUIDE team members use computational models to identify regions with a high concentration of vulnerable dams, emphasizing the socio-economic dimension of the data. The project aims to inform decision-makers about intervention mechanisms such as repairing, replacing, or removing dams, highlighting the importance of collaboration across various disciplines for effective problem-solving in the context of sustainability and infrastructure resilience.

Deanna Hence

Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

In the article, Deanna Hence, Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and member of the I-GUIDE Executive Team, emphasizes the critical concern for the sustainability of infrastructure in the face of climate change. By highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of the Vulnerability Analysis of Aging Dam Infrastructure project, she underscores the importance of I-GUIDE's capacity to bring together experts from various disciplines to comprehensively address the complex challenges associated with aging dams and climate-related risks.

Read the Full Article on the UIUC iSEE Website

The Fifth National Climate Assessment

Featuring Contributions by I-GUIDE's Deanna Hence

The Fifth National Climate Assessment is the United States Government’s preeminent report on climate change impacts, risks, and responses. It is a congressionally mandated interagency effort that provides the scientific foundation to support informed decision-making across the United States.

Deanna Hence, Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and member of the I-GUIDE Executive Team, is a co-author of the chapter on Climate Trends within the Fifth National Climate Assessment.

Read the Full Report on the NCA Website

Panel with the Council of Geospatial Leaders

with panelists Richard Butgereit, Charlie Catlett, Susan Paddock, George Percivall, Siva Ravada, and Barbara Ryan

Keynote Address: Geospatial in Everything, Geospatial for Everyone

by Barbara Ryan of the World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC)

Keynote Address: Metacoupling: A New Convergence Frontier for Global Sustainability

by Jianguo "Jack" Liu of Michigan State University

Additional 2023 Forum recordings are available on the NSF I-GUIDE YouTube Channel.

Playlist of All Special Talks at the 2023 Forum
Playlist of All Paper Talks at the 2023 Forum
Subscribe to the I-GUIDE YouTube Channel

The latest cutting-edge research and publications from the NSF I-GUIDE Team.

This recent paper by authors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Stanford University unveils that international trade fosters transboundary synergistic effects, with non-neighboring trade partners playing a crucial role in amplifying these synergies. Conversely, nature-induced flows like river flow, ocean currents, and air flow highlight the importance of geographical proximity in fostering cooperation among neighboring countries.

As nations strive to achieve the SDGs, this research underscores the imperative of enhanced collaboration and leveraging transboundary synergies. By embracing collective action and harnessing the interconnectedness of sustainability efforts, the global community can pave the way for a more prosperous and resilient future for all.

Read the Full Article on Nature.com

Explore more of the latest work from the NSF I-GUIDE Team.

Click on the cards to view the full articles.

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