Students Accelerate Data-Driven Climate Research through Climate+

More than 30 students participated on eight project teams in summer 2024.

This summer, students in Duke University’s Climate+ program used data science techniques to research climate challenges and potential solutions. They studied topics like saltwater intrusion, energy materials, rainfall predictions and links between climate and health.

Climate+ offers students opportunities to take part in small research teams as a part of Duke’s 10-week Data+ summer experience. Teams of two to four undergraduate students work with a graduate student project manager and faculty leads to collect, analyze and/or visualize data to contribute to climate research. Students, who are pursuing degrees across a range of disciplines, learn to apply data science techniques like machine learning and geospatial data analysis as they undertake projects.

For summer 2024, Climate+ teams included:

• Environmental and Climate Exposures and Social Determinants of Health
• Data- and Machine Learning–Driven Analysis of Atomic Dynamics in Energy Materials
• Detecting Saltwater Intrusion in Rivers Using Remote Sensing
• Monitoring Spartina alterniflora Using Self-supervised Learning
• Duke Forest Reptile and Amphibian Data
• Energy Transition During Energy Crisis: Cape Town's Experience
• Improving Future Rainfall Predictions in the Southeastern US
• Making Climate Hazard Risk Data Useful for North Carolina Communities

Findings from this summer’s teams are already informing climate solutions. One group organized and analyzed reptile and amphibian observations in Duke Forest, providing insights that are helping forest managers monitor and protect species.

Another Climate+ team worked closely with the town of Creswell, NC, and the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resilience to measure flood risks, developing different damage scenarios to help the town and its residents prepare for flooding impacts.

“When the students went to do on-the-ground data collection in Creswell, they got to know town leaders and some of the people who are facing flood risks,” said Robert Calderbank, director of the Rhodes Information Initiative at Duke. “People in the community were eager to partner with students around this challenge, which becomes more urgent with every heavy rain event.”

Enthusiastic about the progress of the partnership, Creswell community leaders will soon be meeting with Duke and NCORR to discuss next steps. A Bass Connections team will build on the partnership’s efforts during the 2024-2025 school year.

Since the summer 2022 launch of Climate+, more than 90 students have contributed to 21 interdisciplinary project teams spanning ecology, biology, engineering, environmental science and more.

Like all students in the broader Data+ program, Climate+ students have opportunities to learn from visiting data science professionals across numerous industries and from other student teams’ experiences and insights.

In addition, Climate+ students participate in a series of unique workshops to enhance their climate literacy, data science and interdisciplinary communication skills. Guest speakers at this year’s workshops covered topics like machine learning, data visualization, climate change science, sustainable agriculture and climate hazard risks and decision-making.

"Climate+ provides students interested in data science with opportunities to learn how these tools can help us address the causes and consequences of climate change. Over the summer, students can make meaningful progress toward climate solutions,” said Kyle Bradbury, director of the Energy Data Analytics Lab at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability.

Climate+ is offered by the Nicholas Institute in partnership with the Rhodes Information Initiative at Duke. The program is aligned with the Duke Climate Commitment, a university-wide initiative that unites Duke’s education, research, operations and public service missions to address climate challenges. Funding for Climate+ comes from The Duke Endowment and the Rhodes Information Initiative.