Spark@AGU 2025

Wednesday, December 17 | 6:30 PM to 8:45 PM
The Chicory, New Orleans, LA

About Spark@AGU

Ready to spark conversation? Spark@AGU talks are a dynamic five minutes of exactly 20 auto-advancing slides! This isn't your typical research presentation. Speakers craft engaging visuals and accessible language on any topic they choose. It's quick, bold, and creative – leave the jargon behind!
Learn about "Spark"

2025 Event Starts In:

Days Hours Minutes Seconds

Meet the speakers

Say hello to this year's incredible lineup of speakers!
Amy Quarkume
Howard University
I Hate My Code: The Environmental Cost of Digital Bias
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Cibele Amaral
ESIIL, CIRES/Earth Lab, University of Colorado Boulder
Driving Transformative Environmental Science in the Open Data & AI Era
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Denise Hills
Advanced Resources International, Inc.
Purr-suasive Engagement: The Cat's Playbook to Better Dialogue
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Joan Jungbin Lee
trubel&co
Map It to Make It: Let's Redraw Our Neighborhoods' Futures!
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Keenan Ganz
University of Washington
Dead trees and where to find them
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Nayani Ilangakoon
CIRES, Earth Lab, University of Colorado Boulder
The Heartbeat of Nature: Listening Before It Fades
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Olivia Zhang
trubel&co
Map It to Make It: Let's Redraw Our Neighborhoods' Futures!
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Pamitha Weerasinghe
Knowledge for a Competitive America
Emcee
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Richard Eckman
University of Maryland
Can't Let Go: Life After NASA Program Management
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Seamus Lombardo
Planet Labs PBC
Using Space to Help Life on Earth
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Sophia Parafina
EarthScope Consortium
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Learned to Love AI
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Sushant Mehan
South Dakota State University
Chasing Water Management in the Age of Algorithms
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Schedule

All times listed below are UTC -5 (Central Standard Time).

18:30 - 19:00

Doors Open & Socialize

Get comfortable and ready to have your mind blown!

Spark Presenter(s)
Zoe Gentes

19:00 - 19:05

The Heartbeat of Nature: Listening Before It Fades

5-minute Spark presentation

Spark Presenter(s)
Nayani Ilangakoon

19:06 - 19:11

Purr-suasive Engagement: The Cat's Playbook to Better Dialogue

5-minute Spark presentation

Spark Presenter(s)
Denise Hills

19:12 - 19:17

Dead Trees and Where to Find Them

5-minute Spark presentation

Spark Presenter(s)
Kennan Ganz

19:18 - 19:23

Can't Let Go: Life After NASA Program Management

5-minute Spark presentation

Spark Presenter(s)
Richard Eckman

19:24 - 19:29

Map It to Make It: Let's Redraw Our Neighborhoods' Futures

5-minute Spark presentation

Spark Presenter(s)
Joan Jungbin Lee, Olivia Zhaang

19:30 - 19:35

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Learned to Love AI

5-minute Spark presentation

Spark Presenter(s)
Sophia Parafina

19:36 - 19:41

I Hate My Code: The Environmental Cost of Digital Bias

5-minute Spark presentation

Spark Presenter(s)
Amy Quarkume

19:42 - 19:47

Chasing Water Management in the Age of Algorithms

5-minute Spark presentation

Spark Presenter(s)
Sushant Mehan

19:48 - 19:53

Using Space to Help Life on Eart

5-minute Spark presentation

Spark Presenter(s)
Seamus Lombardo

19:54 - 19:59

Driving Transformative Environmental Science in the Open Data & AI Era

5-minute Spark presentation

Spark Presenter(s)
Cibele Amaral

19:59 - 20:45

Closing Remarks & Social

Wrap-up and networking

Spark Presenter(s)
Pamitha Weerasinghe, Zoe Gentes

Meet the team

Get to know the amazing team who has made Spark@AGU happen!
Aaron Friesz
Technical Community Director
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Amanda Clayton
Science Manager
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Lauren Childs-Gleason
Process Improvement Lead
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Zoe Gentes
Communications Director
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Our Sponsors

NASA’s Earth Science Division