Editor’s note: Each semester, students in the Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. program can apply for a Geospatial Analytics Travel Award that supports research travel or presentations at conferences. The following is a guest post by travel award winner Rebecca Composto as part of the Student Travel series.

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2025 Fall Meeting took place in the Crescent City, otherwise known as New Orleans, an opportune place to listen and learn about flooding and flood prevention strategies. This was my third year at AGU, but the first time I attended the special lunchtime talks. These talks take place in a large auditorium with cool lighting and esteemed guest speakers. This year, I heard Dr. Ayana Johnson, a marine biologist, writer, and policy expert, speak about her work. She talked about not giving up, being creative and collaborative, and seeking solutions (e.g., policy) rather than just documenting the decline (e.g., science). When asked what kept her hopeful, she said she was often not hopeful, and what kept her going was strategizing and focusing on solutions. It was an inspiring conversation about some of the world’s bleak problems.

In addition to the engaging speakers on stage, I got to mix and mingle with people throughout the conference. At a NASA Early Career Research Program event, both student and NASA speakers discussed their research, hobbies, and the various NASA funding opportunities. This event included an interactive activity in which people discussed their research, then passed a piece of string to the next person to discuss theirs. People got to hear about each other’s research and after the event got to discuss more over beignets.

Another way I got to meet new people was volunteering at the Hydrology Student Subcommittee (H3S) table. This is my first year being a part of H3S, a community of students and early career people interested in hydrology. Throughout the year we plan webinars and during AGU plan social events and poster/oral sessions. The group meets virtually, so AGU was an amazing opportunity to meet people in person (and see how tall they are in real life!).

In addition to meeting interesting and inspiring people, I also had the opportunity to share my research on urban flood mapping with others during a poster session. During this poster session there were many people with questions and ideas who provided valuable insight and feedback. I learned about new datasets and techniques that could improve my research. Outside of the poster sessions and presentations, I got to walk around New Orleans, enjoying the architecture, oysters and breeze from the Mississippi River.

Acknowledgements: Thank you to Dr. Mirela G. Tulbure and Global Analysis for Environmental Change Lab members for the work on this project. Thank you to CGA for funding.

Photo Credit: Rebecca Composto