By: Yessenia Torres
The Data Institute for Societal Challenges (DISC) had a strong presence at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in New Orleans, contributing research and leadership at the intersection of environmental science, public health, and data-driven decision making.
Dr. Michael C. Wimberly, Interim Director of DISC and Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Oklahoma, delivered an oral presentation titled “EPIDEMIA: Tools for Integrating Malaria Surveillance and Environmental Monitoring to Predict Outbreaks in Ethiopia.” The presentation synthesized outcomes from prior research on weather-driven malaria forecasting in Ethiopia and highlighted a new malaria early warning project that will extend this work. The talk was part of a NASA-sponsored symposium, “Actionable Uses of Satellite Observations for Health and Air Quality,” which featured innovative applications of satellite remote sensing for public health.
(Presentation abstract: https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1949383)
In addition to research dissemination, DISC provided leadership in advancing dialogue on emerging global challenges. Dr. Wimberly served as co-moderator of the town hall session “GeoHealth and Geopolitics: Environmental Health Implications of Political Transition.” This session brought together experts engaged in environmental health research and applications to discuss how recent national and global political changes are shaping health policy and responses to emerging threats. Topics included extreme weather, emerging zoonotic diseases, increasing wildfire activity, and new and expanding environmental pollutants.
(Town hall session details: https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/meetingapp.cgi/Session/250121)
DISC-affiliated researchers also contributed several poster presentations, reflecting the breadth of interdisciplinary work supported by the institute. Yusuf Jamal, Postdoctoral Research Associate, presented research on predictive mapping of urban microclimates and suitability for malaria transmission.
(Poster abstract: https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1947138)
Andrews Korah, Postdoctoral Research Associate, shared findings on relationships between satellite-derived land surface temperature and near-surface air temperature in urban environments.
(Poster abstract: https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1953756)
Parisa Masnadi, a PhD candidate, presented work on methane emissions derived from airborne hyperspectral imagery using Integrated Mass Enhancement (IME) analysis.
(Poster abstract: https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1956311)
Together, these contributions highlight DISC’s commitment to advancing data-enabled, interdisciplinary research that informs real-world decisions and addresses complex societal challenges. DISC’s participation at AGU 2025 underscores the institute’s growing role in connecting environmental intelligence, health outcomes, and actionable science on a global stage.
To learn more about AGU: https://www.agu.org/annual-meeting.
NASA Symposium Speakers
