Emerging Frontiers Symposium: AI, Genomics & Community Science in Biogeography

Join us on September 18!

Inspired by our October 2025 NY-SDM (New York Regional Species Distribution Modeling) Discussion Group brainstorming event at the American Museum of Natural History, we are excited to announce the Emerging Frontiers Symposium: AI, Genomics & Community Science in Biogeography, taking place on Friday, September 18, 2026, at Columbia University in New York City. Additional program details will be shared in the coming weeks.

This full-day symposium will bring together researchers working at the forefront of biogeography for a series of plenary talks and extended breakout sessions, or “incubator groups.” The program will focus on three emerging frontiers, artificial intelligence, genomics, and community science, and their growing roles in advancing biogeographic research.

Through plenary presentations, focused discussion, and collaborative incubator sessions, the symposium will create opportunities to build new collaborations, develop innovative research ideas, and identify promising directions for the future of biogeography.

In-person guest tickets include breakfast and lunch onsite.

Agenda

9:00 AM - Welcome and Introductions

9:15 AM - Two Decades of ML For SDM: Guiding the Potential of AI In Biogeography (In-person & Online)

  • Dr. Robert Anderson, Professor, City University of New York
  • Dr. Lauren Gillespie, Assistant Professor, University of Michigan

9:55 AM - Predicting the Past, Mapping the Future: Genomics and Ecological Niches (In-person & Online)

  • Dr. Tereza Jezkova, Associate Professor, Miami University
  • Dr. Diego Alvarado Serrano, Associate Professor, Ohio University

10:45 AM - Building Better SDMs With Community Data: Frontiers and Applications (In-person & Online)

  • Dr. Mary E. Blair, Associate Director, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC), American Museum of Natural History
  • Dr. Viorel D. Popescu, Senior Lecturer and Director, M.S. Program in Biodiversity Data Analytics

11:00 AM - Question and Answer Session (In-person & Online)

  • Moderated by: Dr. Anna Thonis, PRODiG+ Fellow, Stony Brook University

11:30 AM - Lunch

12:30 PM - Discussion Groups (In-person Only)

2:30 PM - Debrief and Closing Remarks (In-person Only)

3:00 PM - End


For more information, please contact the Biodiversity Data Analytics team, biodiversityanalytics [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu.

To obtain additional information about program offerings at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, please inquire [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu.

Please visit Columbia University’s Hub for Emergency Preparedness to stay up to date on the latest campus health and safety policies.

If you require closed captioning, sign-language interpretation, or other accommodations, please contact disability [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu, at least 10 days in advance. Services requested less than 10 days in advance cannot be guaranteed.

This event is open to individuals irrespective of identity and sex.