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University of Florida Hosts NASA Data Hackathon for Environmental Monitoring

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UF Hosts NASA Data Hackathon for Environmental Monitoring

On January 31, the University of Florida (UF) Marston Science Library hosted the Environmental Monitoring through Education, Research, and Geospatial Engagement (EMERGE) NASA Data Hackathon. This initiative aims to engage libraries, educators, and individuals in public health and environmental science using data tools and citizen science. NASA's GLOBE Observer app is a core component, enabling smartphone users to collect data on mosquito habitats, land cover, and clouds.

The EMERGE NASA Data Hackathon seeks to engage libraries, educators, and individuals in public health and environmental science using data tools and citizen science.

Participants at the hackathon spent the day converting environmental data into maps, dashboards, infographics, and practical insights to support public health and environmental decision-making. The event was a collaborative effort, hosted by UF's Geospatial Digital Informatics Lab, SciStarter, and Florida Community Innovation, with additional support from NASA and UF Libraries.

The hackathon provided an opportunity for participants to engage directly with volunteer-collected datasets. They utilized a digital textbook from the GeoDI Lab that outlined methods for downloading, processing, visualizing, and analyzing GLOBE Observer data. Thirteen teams formed to develop projects, either analyzing existing GLOBE data or proposing improvements for data collection within the app.

Recognizing Innovation: Winning Teams of the EMERGE Hackathon

Winning teams were recognized across several categories for their innovative projects and contributions:

App Improvement Track
  • Winner: Mosquito Tracker (Matheus Kunzler Maldaner, Hoang Anh Mai, Luana Kunzler Maldaner, Nicolas Murguia, Alfred Navarro)
  • Honorable Mention: App Improvement Brief (Kelly Muma, Seth Paul)
  • User Interface Recognition: GLOBE Observer, Simplified (Kaushal Thota, Sparsh Mogha)
Advanced Track
  • Winner: Epidemiological Vector Mapping System (Aseel Ismail, Shreya Shanmugam, Devadarshini Dhandapani, Shivani Chandrasekar)
  • Winner: GeoDude (Siddharth Nahar, Anushri N R, Avantika Holla, Matthew Losito)
  • Honorable Mention: Mosquito Habitat Observations and Wildfire Hazard in Florida (Nancy Murphy, Philippa Burgess)
  • Mapping Recognition: Mosquitos Worldwide Project (Ayesha Malligai M.)
Intermediate Track
  • Winner: Swarm Sense (Isabella Bodea, Evan Mullins, Aashita Rai)
  • Honorable Mention: Mosquito Risk Mapping (RamyaLakshmi KS, Delilah Penate, Thomas Barbato, Amit Rajpurkar)
  • Data Analysis Recognition: Bias and Uncertainty in Reported Mosquito Habitat Data (Gabriel Dos Santos, Satyabrata Das, Matthew White, Dylan Aaron)
Beginner Track
  • Winner: Beginner Track EMERGE Project (Breanna Blackwood, Demitri Tu, Masha Belyaeva, Elizabeth Nguyen, Tommy Lin)
  • Honorable Mention: Mosquito Predicting with Globe Observer Data (Novaarcoid Rajpurkar)
Field Track
  • Winner: Field Track Data Collection for Mosquito Habitat (Wei Liu, Yichan Li)

Engage with Florida Community Innovation

Individuals interested in civic technology, public-interest data, and community-centered research are encouraged to engage with Florida Community Innovation (FCI), a hackathon partner. FCI collaborates with students and community partners to develop accessible tools, maps, and public resources.