Professional Development Resources

Events

“CLIMATE DATA SCIENCE CAREERS IN THE ACADEMIC + PUBLIC SECTORS: A PANEL”

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2026
4:00 – 5:00pm (EDT)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC), and via Zoom

This interactive panel discussion will highlight the diverse opportunities available to those interested in applying data science to climate challenges, from advancing fundamental research to shaping policy and decision-making.

The panel will include Dr. Pierre Gentine and Dr. Galen McKinley, Columbia University faculty members who will share insights into academic careers in climate science and data-drive research, and Dr. Elszasz of the Natural Areas Conservancy (and formerly of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice), who will discuss careers in government and public sectors. They will reflect on their career journeys, offer advice for students and early-career professionals, and discuss the skills and experiences needed to succeed in this rapidly-evolving field.

Academic Sector Panelists

  • Pierre Gentine, Columbia University, Maurice Ewing and J. Lamar Worzel Professor of Geophysics; Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences; Professor at the Climate School; LEAP Director 
  • Galen McKinley, Columbia University and the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences


Public Sector Panelist

“NAVIGATING GRADUATE SCHOOL + ACADEMICS”

TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2026
12:00 – 1:30pm (EST)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC), and via Zoom

During this interactive panel, Kaitlyn Loftus (LEAP postdoc), Manuel Othon Gutierrez Villanueva (LEAP postdoc), Lianlei Fu (2026 LEAP Momentum Fellow, Chapman University), and Valerie Tsao (2026 LEAP Momentum Fellow, Duke University) will share advice and experiences related to life as a graduate student while navigating the demands of academics + research.

“THE ART (AND SCIENCE) OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATION FOR EARTH SCIENTISTS”

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2026
12:00 – 1:30pm (ET)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC), and via Zoom

Science communication – clearly and comprehensively delivering scientific information to non-technical audiences – is becoming increasingly important. Whether it’s for helping people understand the world around them, or building public trust in the scientific process, science communication is being featured more prevalently in researchers’ toolkits. For geoscientists, science communication is becoming essential as anthropogenic climate change tips the scales toward more environmental crises. But if we’re supposed to increase scientific literacy on both general and policymaking levels, there needs to be an understanding of which parts of our work are most salient to those outside our field. In other words, we need to know which parts of our research tell the stories that need to be heard the most.

This interactive workshop will unpack how we should communicate research findings to different audiences. There will be a special focus on how geoscientists should respond when asked for comments by the media, and also how we can craft our own independent research-based stories.

Watch on YouTube

“CLIMATE DATA SCIENCE CAREERS: A PANEL”

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2025
12:00 – 1:30pm (ET)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC), and via Zoom

This interactive panel discussion will be followed by a light networking lunch.

Panelists

  • Ryan Abernathey, Earthmover, CEO + Co-Founder
  • Emily Sambuco, Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Model Evaluation Manager – U.S. / Atmospheric Scientist
  • Mohamed Aziz Bhouri, Goldman Sachs, Associate Quantitative Engineer
  • Steve Sain, Jupiter Intelligence, Senior Director – Geospatial + Data Sciences


Moderator


Please register by Friday, October 3, 2025.

“THE ART (AND SCIENCE) OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATION FOR EARTH SCIENTISTS”

THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2025
12:30 – 1:00pm (ET)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC), and via Zoom

Science communication – clearly and comprehensively delivering scientific information to non-technical audiences – is becoming increasingly important. Whether it’s for helping people understand the world around them, or building public trust in the scientific process, science communication is being featured more prevalently in researchers’ toolkits. For geoscientists, science communication is becoming essential as anthropogenic climate change tips the scales toward more environmental crises. But if we’re supposed to increase scientific literacy on both general and policymaking levels, there needs to be an understanding of which parts of our work are most salient to those outside our field. In other words, we need to know which parts of our research tell the stories that need to be heard the most.

This interactive workshop will unpack how we should communicate research findings to different audiences. There will be a special focus on how geoscientists should respond when asked for comments by the media, and also how we can craft our own independent research-based stories.

Watch on YouTube

“CLIMATE DATA SCIENCE CAREERS IN THE PRIVATE AND ACADEMIC SECTORS: A PANEL”

THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025
12:00 – 1:30pm (EDT)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC), and via Zoom

This interactive panel discussion will be followed by a light networking lunch.

Academic Sector Panelists

  • Viviana Acquaviva, Simons Foundation, Pivot Fellow; CUNY NYC College of Technology, Professor in the Physics Department; Columbia University and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Adjunct Senior Research Scientist; SISSA Institute for Data Science, Visiting Professor
  • Galen McKinley, Columbia University and the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences


Private Sector Panelists


Moderator

  • Thea Hatlen-Heimdal, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO), Columbia University, Associate Research Scientist, Geochemistry

“NAVIGATING GRADUATE SCHOOL + ACADEMICS”

MONDAY, JUNE 9, 2025
12:30 – 1:30pm (EDT)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC), and via Zoom

During this interactive panel, Kaitlyn Loftus and Thea Heimdal will share advice and experiences related to life as a graduate student while navigating the demands of academics + research.

“MENTOR TRAINING WORKSHOP”

THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2025
10:00 – 11:30am (EDT)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC), and via Zoom

NSF Engineering Research Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3), NSF AI Institute for Artificial and Natural Intelligence (ARNI), and NSF Science and Technology Center for Learning the Earth with Artificial Intelligence and Physics (LEAP) are jointly hosting a Professional Development workshop where participants will learn best practices and resources for mentoring students.

Workshop Leader:

  • Danushi S. Fernando,  Assistant Dean for Engagement and Strategic Programs at Columbia Engineering. 


Topics will include:

  • Communication: Establishing Communication Norms; Getting to Know One Another
  • Setting Expectations & Establishing Accountability
  • Growth, Development, and Advancement

“THE ART (AND SCIENCE) OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATION FOR EARTH SCIENTISTS”

THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024
12:00 – 1:00pm (EDT)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC), and via Zoom

Science communication – clearly and comprehensively delivering scientific information to non-technical audiences – is becoming increasingly important. Whether it’s for helping people understand the world around them, or building public trust in the scientific process, science communication is being featured more prevalently in researchers’ toolkits. For geoscientists, science communication is becoming essential as anthropogenic climate change tips the scales toward more environmental crises. But if we’re supposed to increase scientific literacy on both general and policymaking levels, there needs to be an understanding of which parts of our work are most salient to those outside our field. In other words, we need to know which parts of our research tell the stories that need to be heard the most.

This interactive workshop will unpack how we should communicate research findings to different audiences. There will be a special focus on how geoscientists should respond when asked for comments by the media, and also how we can craft our own independent research-based stories.

Watch on YouTube

“NAVIGATING GRADUATE SCHOOL + ACADEMICS”

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2024
12:00 – 1:00pm (EDT)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC), and via Zoom

During this interactive panel, Kaitlyn Loftus and Thea Heimdal will share advice and experiences related to life as a graduate student while navigating the demands of academics + research.

Please RSVP via email Molly Lopez by Monday, June 17, 2024, to receive a calendar invitation with additional details.

“MENTOR TRAINING WORKSHOP”

THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2024
12:00 – 2:00pm (EDT)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC), and via Zoom

NSF Engineering Research Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3), NSF AI Institute for Artificial and Natural Intelligence (ARNI), and NSF Science and Technology Center for Learning the Earth with Artificial Intelligence and Physics (LEAP) are jointly hosting a Professional Development workshop where participants will learn best practices and resources for mentoring students.

Workshop Leader:


Topics will include:

  • Communication: Establishing Communication Norms; Getting to Know One Another
  • Setting Expectations & Establishing Accountability
  • Growth, Development, and Advancement

“CLIMATE DATA SCIENCE: MULTIDISCIPLINARY VIEWS ON RESEARCH CONVERGENCE”

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2024
12:00 – 1:00pm (EDT)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC), and via Zoom

Researchers from different disciplines within the field of climate data science will share their perspectives on:

  • How researchers collaborate with others in + out of their respective fields (e.g., ML, statistics, earth sciences)
  • Culture (e.g., hierarchy or not; open-source)
  • How to share research (e.g., data, code, publication format, papers + conferences)
  • How public-private partnerships work within sub-fields


Panelists:


A light lunch will be served following the discussion.

“NAVIGATING THE ACADEMIC JOB MARKET”

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2024
3:00 – 4:00pm (EDT)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC), and via Zoom

During this interactive panel, Laure Zanna, Marco Giometto, Pierre Gentine, and Sara Shamekh will share advice and experiences related to the academic job market, including the process of applying for faculty positions, suggestions for composing strong written proposals and oral presentations, perspectives from experienced hiring committee members, and navigating the interview process.

Please RSVP via email Molly Lopez by Monday, March 25, 2024, to receive a calendar invitation with additional details.

Courtney Cogburn

“EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATING YOUR SCIENCE”

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
10:00 – 11:00am (EDT)
Columbia Innovation Hub – Tang Family Hall (2276 12th Ave, 2nd Floor, NYC)

Presented by Courtney Cogburn, PhD, (Chief Equity Officer & Knowledge Transfer Director, LEAP; Associate Professor of Social Work, Columbia University; Affiliate Member of the Data Science Institute), this session will help you learn to:

  • Develop your talks so they reach a broad audience
  • Clarify complex topics and results
  • Use presentation techniques to engage your full audience


Please RSVP to email Molly Lopez by Tuesday, February 13, 2024, to receive a calendar invitation with additional details.

This session is open to everyone, whether or not you have upcoming plans to present.

Nomination Opportunities

LEAP wants to support recognition of your research!

Please review the list of American Geophysical Union (AGU) awards below.
If you see an award where you might be a good fit, please contact Molly Lopez, Managing Director.
We will do our best to support your application!

 

Global Environmental Change (GEC)
(Submission window: January 17 – March 27)


Cryosphere
(Submission window: January 17 – March 27)


Informatics
(Submission window: January 17 – March 27)


Hydrology 
(Submission window: January 17 – March 1)


Atmospheric Sciences
(Submission window: January 17 – March 27)


Ocean Sciences
(Submission window: January 17 – March 27)


Geodesy