10th Annual Earth Day Symposium - That's a Wrap!

UMBC's 10th Earth Day Symposium was held during Earth Week on April 24, 2026, and this year's theme was "Extreme Events in a Changing World." The morning featured talks addressing extreme events, such as space weather, wildfires, air quality, and how atmospheric modeling assists in examining earth systems, along with a keynote presentation on extreme storms and another on the polar vortex. 

Fortunately, the weather was not extreme that day, as the afternoon included an outside exhibit hall, featuring a model of HARP2, a collection of ash and dust logistically placed on a world map, and a wind lidar system, followed by a tree planting (thank you, UMBC Office of Sustainability). Once back inside the Physics Building, Atmospheric Physics graduate students presented their posters, an experts panel convened to discuss "Our Response to the Extremes", and Dr. Zhibo Zhang delivered closing remarks. 

Congratulations to the 2026 EDS Steering Committee members Joshua Richards (lead, ATPH/GESTAR II), Parker Coye (ATPH), Eniola Oyedeji (ATPH/GESTAR II), Tashin Ahammad (ATPH), Connor Thompson (ATPH), and Idris Ali (ATPH/GESTAR II) on a successful UMBC Earth Week event! 

Guest Speakers on Extreme Events:

Dr. Denny Oliveira (GPHI/UMBC)

Dr. Shane Coffield (NASA GSFC/UMD)

Dr. Viral Shah (GESTAR II/MSU)

Dr. Rebecca Eager (JHU APL, LLC)

Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Jeff Halverson, GES/UMBC 

Exhibit Hall:

Ansel Lavitz, who works with UMBC's Dr. Adriana Rocha-Lima, conducts research on dust aerosols.

UMBC Atmospheric Physics graduate and doctoral students' Poster Presentations:

Joshua Richards, Ph.D. candidate in Atmospheric Physics

Greema Regmi, Ph.D. candidate in Atmospheric Physics

Eniola Oyedeji, Ph.D. candidate in Atmospheric Physics

EDS Panel "Our Response to the Extremes":

UMBC Moderator and Panel Members: Parker Coye (ATPH, UMBC); Joel Dreessen, Maryland Department of the Environment; Steven Fuhrmann, NOAA Climate Prediction Center, ERT; and Dr. Ana Prados (Earth and Space Institute, UMBC). 

(All photos by A. Houghton.) 

• Attached Inline Image for 10th Annual Earth Day Symposium - That's a Wrap!
• Attached Inline Image for 10th Annual Earth Day Symposium - That's a Wrap!
• Attached Inline Image for 10th Annual Earth Day Symposium - That's a Wrap!
• Attached Inline Image for 10th Annual Earth Day Symposium - That's a Wrap!
• Attached Inline Image for 10th Annual Earth Day Symposium - That's a Wrap!
• Attached Inline Image for 10th Annual Earth Day Symposium - That's a Wrap!
• Attached Inline Image for 10th Annual Earth Day Symposium - That's a Wrap!
• Attached Inline Image for 10th Annual Earth Day Symposium - That's a Wrap!
• Attached Inline Image for 10th Annual Earth Day Symposium - That's a Wrap!
• Attached Inline Image for 10th Annual Earth Day Symposium - That's a Wrap!