News
Stay informed and connected with the latest developments, achievements, and exciting happenings at the data diversity lab. Our news section is a space where we share insights, breakthroughs, and stories that reflect the work of our research community. Explore the stories that shape our journey and connect with the dynamic spirit of innovation at the lab. If you have news to share or inquiries about our latest updates, feel free to reach out—we'd love to hear from you.
2024
Fall
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In October, NSF RCN on Urban EcoEvo: Dr. Román-Palacios attended the Urban Eco-Evol and Nature-based solution workshop hosted by Dr. Marina Alberti at the University of Washington
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United Nations Biodiversity Conference, COP16: Dr. Roman-Palacios attended the The United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia along with UA colleagues Dr. Rachel Gallery (Professor) and Dr. Jessie Golding (Postdoctoral Associate), affiliated to the Lovejoy Center at the University of Arizona
- See more here
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Our lab’s PI, Cristian Román-Palacios, had the opportunity to speak on NPR discussing a recently published Science paper about accelerating extinction due to climate change. Cristian provided a powerful insight into the dangers of climate change on our environmental health. Read more on his interview here: https://www.npr.org/2024/12/05/nx-s1-5214555/if-global-warming-ramps-up-1-in-3-species-could-be-in-serious-danger-by-centurys-end
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Our PI, Cristian Román-Palacios, wrote a blog relating to COP16 for the Ecological Society of America (ESA) that you can read below
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Our MSc capstone student, Erika Kirkpatrick, was nominated and chosen to receive the University of Arizona College of Information Science's Graduate Teaching Award. Congratulations Erika!
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We secured Faculty Seed Grant that allows for further support one postdoctoral researcher ($15,000)
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The lab helped secure a $3 Million grant for an NSF NRT program CAMBIUM: Climate change Adaptation and Mitigation through Biodiversity Informatics edUcation and Mentoring
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We are happy to welcome our various new lab members!
- Pradnya Raut → MS student working on a capstone project
- Isabella Kortiz → student worker in the InfoSci MS advising team
- Delaney Scott-Martin → undergrad student working on our current VIP project
- Erika Kirkpatrick → MS student working on our current VIP project
- Eleanor Tuck → student worker in the InfoSci MS advising team
- Kennedy Gezella → undergrad student worker supporting the lab on the managing side
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We secured a ~$100k Level II grant from National Geographic. This grant will enable us to create a Data Science-related teaching program that will be deployed in Colombia during 2025. We will also teach an intro to phylogenetics using phruta using this funding.
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We secured funding for our students through NSF’s WAESO ($3000) and the VIP seed grant ($3000).
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Dr. Van Boxel, first Ph.D. student in the lab, published her paper "BARMPy: Bayesian additive regression models Python package" in the journal Computational Statistics
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A paper led by Dr. Alex Arnold at UCLA was published earlier this semester (Comparative clumped isotope temperature relationships in freshwater carbonates) in the The Depositional Record. Congrats Alex!
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Dr. Román attended the Urban Eco Evo RCN meeting held in UWashington and hosted by Dr. Marina Alberti in October, 2024.
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Along with the Lovejoy Foundation (i.e. Rachel Gallery and Jessie Golding) at the University of Arizona, Dr. Román attended the UN COP16 in Cali, Colombia
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We are sad to say goodbye to one of our amazing lab members…Hector Garcia, our former research laboratory manager. We thank Hector for all his help and dedication to supporting the Data Diversity Lab.
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The College of Information Science assigned Harvill 320D to our MS Faculty Team members. We will be using this office to support our students with drop-in meetings and to have the members of our team in a dedicated space.
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Concerning, our lab is located in the second floor of Harvill. Recent informal communications have suggested that the only elevator to the entire building will be out for maintenance for at least one semester in Spring 2025. Classes are expected to be scheduled in other buildings across campus. We will potentially experience accessibility-related limitations as part of these alterations...
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Dr. Kristen Martinet, one of our postdoctoral researchers, was selected as one of only two presenters to win the Best Poster Presentation award! This was for her poster presented at the Arizona Postdoctoral Research Conference this September. Congratulations to Kristen!
- Linked here is further information about her award: https://uapostdocs.weebly.com/spotlight/archives/11-2024
Summer
- A new postdoc joins the lab! We welcome Kristen Martinet!
- Former PhD student in the lab, now Dr. Van Boxel had a paper published in Springer's Computational Statistics journal!
- An NSF-NRT (Research Traineeship) grant in which Dr. Román-Palacios will collaborate as personnel has been approved for funding!
- A new undergrad has joined the lab. We welcome Paige Cherry!
- Postdoc Ian Estacio has joined the lab. Welcome Ian!
- Two new papers where Dr. Roman collaborated in have been published in Ecology and Evolution and the ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences journals!
- Our postdoc Kiran started leading team collaboration data collection efforts for a project based on cultural behavior in animals
- Dr. Roman gave a talk to the 2024 student cohort of The National Summer Undergraduate Research Project!
- MD Nafis Ul Alam (Michael) just joined the lab as a co-advised (w/ Rod Wing) PhD student
Spring
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We congratulate our graduating lab members: Danielle Van Boxel, Ani Chitransh, Shih-Hsuan Lo, Jiayue He, Tom Olla, Rob Speer & Gloria Moraa Angwenyi! We will miss you. Keep in touch!
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All of our lab members got together to collaborate on potentially publishable materials during our organized lab retreat/workshop! Research, lunch and fun!
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HM Abdul and Ani Chitransh represented the Data Diversity Lab by presenting their capstone research in this semester's iShowcase event!
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PhD candidate Jhan C.Salazar flies from St. Louis to visit the lab for a week of collaboration! We welcome you back Jhan!
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Our first postdoc has joined the lab, we welcome Kiran Basava!
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Danielle defended her PhD dissertation and passed with flying colors! Congratulations Danielle!
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Our application to the Vertically Integrated Projects program was accepted and funded with a $3500 seed grant!
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We have a new lab website!!!
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Shih-Hsuan took professional headshot photos for the whole lab this semester. Thank you Shih-Hsuan.
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A research paper from the lab has been shortlisted for the 2023 Robert May Prize. The prize is awarded each year for the best paper in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution. Blog post: https://methodsblog.com/2024/03/20/early-career-research-increasing-access-reproducibility-and-transparency-in-phylogenetic-analyses-with-cristian-roman-palacioshttps-besjournals-onlinelibrary-wiley-com-doi-full-10-1111-2041-210x-1/.
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The lab has applied to the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) initiative and will aim to form a team of undergrads to introduce to research in Fall 2024
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Our lab space has become fully functional, we welcome all our lab members on campus to use our facilities as much as possible.
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A lab retreat is planned during the semester, will be discussing research and future work plans.
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We welcome our new lab members for the spring semester:
- Graduate students: Abdul HM Fattah, Shih-Hsuan Lo, Jiayue He, Ani Chitransh & Tom Olla .
- Research Data Support Specialist: Tanisha Lohchab.
2023
Fall
- Our lab members Ethan Davis and Yi Chien successfully graduated from UA. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors and don’t forget to keep in touch!
- Daniela submitted her application to the NSF PRFB grant! Crossing fingers for you Daniela!
- The lab met at Churrasco de Brasil in Tucson for a semester dinner!
- The Data Diversity Lab will be represented by Danielle Van Boxel at this year's iSchool’s iShowcase presentation conference!
- Cristian attended the World Climate Research Programme Open Science conference in Rwanda, Africa!
- Yi Chien attended the Grace Hopper Celebration 2023 conference.
- Professional headshot photos for lab members are planned!
- A job ad has been placed for a GitHub Pages website developer!
- Cristian attended INECOL conference in Mexico.
- Provost Investment Fund grant application was submitted for potential funding.
- Daniela successfully defended her PhD thesis! Congrats Daniela!
- Daniela Valladolid-Garnica has been hired as a research data support specialist II!
- Yi Chien Lee has been hired as a Graduate Research Assistant!
- We have a lab space now! Complete remodeling and furnishing will be finished by the end of year!
- Hector Garcia-Verdugo has been hired as the lab’s manager!
Summer
- Jhan C. Salazar has been hired as a research data support specialist II!
- Darwood Martin and Katie Stringham joined the lab to work on a machine learning project relating local extinctions to climate change.
Spring
- Cristian accepted a Tenure Track faculty position at the School of Information!
- Seed grant funded: Mackenzie Waller and I received ~20k from CAPLA (College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture) at UA towards working on open access software for formal planning. The app is still under development and can be foung here.
- See grant funded: Chris Lim and I received ~50k for conducting research on the impacts of power outages on human health in the US.
- We’re hiring our first staff member for Fall 2023/Spring 2024!
- Danielle van Boxel, PhD candidate at the Applied Math department and who I co-advice, passed her COMPS and is moving forward with BARN/BARM!
- Lia Ossana, PhD at the School of Natural Resources, passed her COMPS!
- Reza Ehsani defended at the end of the semester, obtained his Ms in Data Science at the iSchool, and moved to San Francisco to start a Data Science position at Zipline.
- Laura Falk (got married yay!! and changed her last name) completed her MsC in Data Science at the iSchool and presented at the Santa Cruz River Research Days. Check out her capstone project here.
2022
Fall
- Kyle Clements joined the lab to collect data on census track-related datasets across the globe.
- Salena Ashton has been working as a Dats Science fellow at the Data Science institute – generating strategies to increase access to workshops and other DS-related events at the University.
- Laura Palacios has been working in my lab, also co-advised by Maliaca G Oxnam at the Data Science institute (UArizona) on a project implementing machine learning models to understand E. coli levels in the Santa Cruz river.
- Eastern Kang Sim completed their capstone project on a reproducible pipeline for conducting social sciences research (co-adviced by Dr. Javier Osorio at the School of Government and Public Policy).
- Kyle Arechiga has joined the lab to work on unsupervised learning tasks.
- Danielle Van Boxel officially joined the lab to work on BARN.
- Wonkyun Yim was hired as staff researcher in my lab!
- Our paper with Quan Gan was submitted to G-cubed!
Summer
- Expressed interest for the Build and Broaden program at NSF: https://beta.nsf.gov/events/build-broaden-program-office-hours
- Cristian taught a python intro workshop along with the Youth Education and Empowerment in STEM group at UCLA.
Spring
- Wonkyun Yim will start his internship in my lab!
- Quan Gan will start his internship in my lab!
2021
Fall
- I will give a lecture at San Carlos Apache College
- I will be leading Spanish sessions in GIS for community Health (UCLA; CDLS)
- I will give a lecture at Dr. Mike Barker’s Bioinformatics course
- I will be teaching Machine Learning and Data Mining at The University of Arizona (iSchool).