OK NSF EPSCoR Annual State Conference: Putting Our Mark on Climate Research

Over 80 researchers from across the state gathered on December 3 in Norman to highlight Oklahoma’s climate research efforts during the Oklahoma NSF EPSCoR Annual State Conference.

Researchers and outreach representatives of the Oklahoma NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Award No. IIA-1301789, “Adapting Socio-Ecological Systems to Increased Climate Variability,” presented mid-project progress updates during the conference, while post-docs and students displayed over 30 posters highlighting their multi-disciplinary participation in the EPSCoR project. (Twenty-nine of the abstracts may be viewed below.)

On December 1-2, prior to the Annual State Conference, EPSCoR researchers partnered with the highly esteemed Governor's Water Conference and Research Symposium to further expand the EPSCoR State Conference’s goal of increasing collaboration and furthering research growth. EPSCoR research was featured during a half-day session during the meeting on Dec. 2 titled "Integrated Socio-Ecological Research on Water." Access the Dec. 2 EPSCoR agenda. This strategic partnership allowed a diverse group of researchers from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Oklahoma Water Resources Center, and Oklahoma NSF EPSCoR to come together, share research findings, and continue the important process of building new relationships to support climate science research in the state. Oklahoma State University Vice President for Research Dr. Kenneth Sewell closed Wednesday’s EPSCoR proceedings with a keynote dinner address, where he spoke of the importance of Oklahoma as a research state.

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Conference Materials:
Proceedings, Presentations, Posters & Abstracts

Conference Proceedings

Speaker Presentations

“A Socio-Ecological Approach to Planning for Climate Change”
Dawn Jourdan, Assoc. Professor & Director, Division of Regional & City Planning, OU
"Introduction to the Watershed Websites"

Emma Kuster, Program Coordinator, Oklahoma NSF EPSCoR
Ron Miller, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, OSU

"Informatics: Tiger, the Interactive Graphical Environment for Research"

Evan Linde, Research Cyberinfrastructure Analyst, OSU

“Linking Land Use & Management, Water Resources & Human Wellbeing in Oklahoma City”
Heather McCarthy, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Microbiology & Plant Biology, OU
"Downscaled Climate Data: What is Available and How to Use it"
Renee McPherson, Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Geography & Environmental Sustainability, OU

"EPSCoR Outreach Highlights"
Grant Spotlight Video #1, Grant Spotlight Video #2
Gina Miller, Outreach Coordinator, Oklahoma NSF EPSCoR

“A Modeling Framework for Coupled Natural-Human Systems”
Rachata Muneepeerakul, Assoc. Professor, Agricultural & Biological Engineering, University of Florida

"OneOklahoma Cyberinfrastructure Initiative: OneOCII"
Henry Neeman, Director, OSCER; Asst. VP for IT-Research Strategy Advisor, OU
Dana Brunson, Asst. VP for Research Cyberinfrastructure; Director, High Performance
"Adaptation to Climate Variability: The Role of the USDA Southern Plains Climate Hub"
Jean Steiner, Supervisory Soil Scientist, Grazinglands Research Laboratory, USDA