Students learn about climate technologies in D.C.

On the heels of the U.S. Departmente of Commerce’s recent announcement of $19 million in funding for South Florida’s climate-oriented technology hub, FIU’s center in Washington, D.C., hosted the interactive panel “Building Tomorrow: Environmental Resiliency Through Climate Technologies.”

The U.S. Economic Development Administration, an agency of the Department of Commerce, in 2023 established the tech hubs program to strengthen U.S. economic and national security with investments in regions across the country with the potential to become globally competitive in technologies and industries of the future. South Florida has been designated a climate technologies hub in recognition of the implications of climate change on its land and people and for its rapidly growing technology sector. More than half of the $19 million awarded will go toward research projects led by FIU.

“We have enough opportunity in our quad-county region that the first thing that we need to do is drive successful projects and commercialization at home,” said guest speaker Francesca Covey, Miami-Dade’s regional innovation officer for the South Florida ClimateReady Tech Hub, of what should be a growing and powerful catalyst for innovation in Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach counties, which together represent the hub.

The FIU workshop gathered 34 students who are serving as summer interns at various agencies and organizations in Washington. It took place as representatives from all 31 tech hubs around the nation - each of which has a different focus within eight categories, among them energy and biotechnology - met in the nation’s capital with officials.

At FIU’s center in D.C., students shared their unique perspectives using on an online interactive polling system that aggregated their answers and allowed the panelists to better understand where the young people were at in terms of their knoweldge and concerns. The panel included Ayia Lindquist, associate program manager of Climate Resilience at NASA, and Todd Crowl, director of the Institute of Environment at FIU.

“We’re using a birds-eye view to understand our ecosystems, and then we figure out ways to put this data in the hands of users,” said Lindquist, who shared the details of NASA’s online climate projections. 

Crowl highlighted research at FIU around climate-resilient technology such as ultra high-performance concrete, a material with low permeability that resists saltwater ingress and can protect structural elements against corrosion in coastal areas. He also discussed autonomous robotic environmental sensors that currently collect data on areas in South Florida vulnerable to extreme wind, surge and wave events, devices the university continues to develop in support of monitoring the Biscayne Aquifer and others sensitive resources.

“We can be positioned to help provide you tools to make decisions on a daily basis.” said Crowl, describing how FIU scientists can engage with climate-vulnerable communities in South Florida. Both panelists emphasized the necessity of putting these technologies in the hands of local stakeholders to educate and give agency to those who are most affected by climate conditions.

Students had multiple opportunities to participate in the discussion and shared stories of how climate science works in their fields, from international trade to teaching STEM in high school classrooms. 

"This event really changed my perspective on what it means to care about the climate in the South Florida region," said Mia Rodriguez, an undergraduate student interning in the office of Congresswoman Frederica Wilson.

This gathering followed the recent panel “Artificial Intelligence: Exploring Its Impact on You,” which showcased the integration of AI and machine learning into many FIU-led science initiatives. The panelists described the ‘AI revolution’ as integral to powering America’s future.

Watch a recording of the program here.