Aurorasaurus Attends AGU

Aurorasaurus Attends AGU

Members of the Aurorasaurus team attended the 2023 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, held December 11–15 in San Francisco, California. Each year, AGU brings together more than 25,000 scientists, educators, students, and professionals from over 100 countries to share research, foster collaboration, and advance our understanding of Earth and space sciences.

Representing Aurorasaurus at this year’s conference were Dr. Liz MacDonald, Dr. Matt Heavner, Dr. Francesca Di Mare, and several Aurorasaurus Ambassadors. During the meeting, Dr. Di Mare and Dr. MacDonald presented a research poster titled “What Does the STEVE Phenomenon Reveal About the Role of Turbulence in Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Interactions?” Their work explored the unique atmospheric phenomenon known as STEVE and its implications for understanding complex space weather processes.

The week concluded with a highly engaging interdisciplinary Union session focused on Open Science, which brought together researchers, educators, citizen scientists, and community leaders from a variety of disciplines. The session highlighted the importance of making scientific research more accessible, collaborative, and impactful.

Among the featured speakers was Dr. Nicky Fox, Associate Administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, who discussed several exciting initiatives, including NASA’s new Open Science 101 curriculum, the Heliophysics Big Year, and the Astromaterials 3D archive. These programs are designed to expand access to scientific resources and encourage broader participation in scientific discovery.

Attendees also heard from Damon Tighe, a dedicated community volunteer from the San Francisco Bay Area and contributor to the iNaturalist project. His enthusiasm for citizen science and community engagement served as an inspiring example of how public participation can contribute to meaningful scientific research.

Erin Robinson of Metadata Game Changers presented examples of innovative approaches to data management and discussed the application of FAIR principles—making data and collections Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable—to physical collections and scientific resources.

The session concluded with remarks from Dr. Rolf Hut, founder of the original MacGyver Session in Hydrology. Dr. Hut emphasized the distinction between practicing open science within the scientific community and extending it to society as a whole, noting the importance of creating more opportunities for broader public engagement in scientific conversations and decision-making.

Reflecting on the event, Dr. MacDonald expressed her appreciation for everyone involved, saying, “Many thanks to our conveners, speakers, and MacGyver poster presenters!”

The Aurorasaurus team was pleased to participate in AGU 2023 and to connect with researchers, educators, and citizen scientists who share a commitment to advancing science through collaboration, innovation, and openness.