Students and community members from across Gainesville and beyond will gather at the University of Florida on Saturday, January 31, 2026, for the EMERGE NASA Data Hackathon, a full-day, hands-on event focused on transforming real environmental data into meaningful public insights.
Pre-registration is available at geoemerge.com/nasa-at-uf.
The event will take place from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM at Marston Science Library (Room L136) and is presented by the University of Florida GeoDI Lab led by Dr. Di Yang, SciStarter (the world’s largest citizen science database), and Florida Community Innovation (a civic tech nonprofit), with support from NASA and UF Libraries.
The EMERGE Hackathon invites participants of all experience levels to work with NASA-supported GLOBE Observer data to explore urgent environmental and public health topics, including mosquito-borne disease, land cover change, and environmental health. No prior coding or data experience is required.
“Whether someone is brand new to data or already working with advanced analytics, this hackathon is designed to be welcoming, interdisciplinary, and impactful,” said Dr. Caroline Nickerson, Executive Director of Florida Community Innovation and Communications Lead for EMERGE. “Participants will leave with new skills, and with work that contributes to real scientific research.”
Turning Data into Community Insight
Participants will work in guided tracks to explore, analyze, and communicate environmental data through maps, dashboards, infographics, and spatial storytelling tools. Throughout the day, teams will collaborate with librarians, researchers, and NASA-affiliated mentors.
Hackathon tracks include:
- Beginner Track (No Coding Required) — mapping basics, data exploration, and visual storytelling
- Intermediate Track — Python, Jupyter notebooks, and multi-dataset mapping
- Advanced Track — remote sensing, satellite data analysis, and machine learning
- Field Track — mosquito habitat sampling, species identification, and data uploads
- NEW: App Improvement Track — front-end, back-end, accessibility, UX, API, and documentation improvements for the GLOBE Observer app, culminating in an App Improvement Brief submitted to NASA GLOBE leadership
Sample challenge themes include mapping mosquito risk on campus, visualizing land cover change over time, integrating satellite and ground data, and creating community-friendly environmental infographics.
Hands-On Science, On and Off Campus
Participants will use SciStarter Mapping Mosquito Habitats kits, available for checkout in advance (email info@floridainnovation.org to request a kit!) and distributed during the event. Data collected before and during the hackathon will be uploaded directly to NASA’s GLOBE datasets, ensuring participant contributions support ongoing environmental and public health research.
The day will feature workshops, track-based work sessions, optional field sampling, team presentations, and awards.
Who Should Attend
The EMERGE NASA Data Hackathon is open to:
- University of Florida undergraduate and graduate students
- Community members from Gainesville and surrounding areas
- Anyone interested in environmental data, mapping, public health, or community science
The event is intentionally designed to be accessible, collaborative, and interdisciplinary.
Continuing the Impact
Following the hackathon, participants will be invited to complete a short post-event survey to share feedback and learning outcomes. The event builds on prior EMERGE hackathons and data visualization contests hosted with libraries and community partners across Florida. Curriculum and planning resources are available for groups interested in hosting similar programs.
Event Details at a Glance
Date: January 31, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Location: Marston Science Library, Room L136, University of Florida
Registration: https://geoemerge.com/nasa-at-uf/
Media Contact
Dr. Caroline Nickerson
Executive Director, Florida Community Innovation
Communications Lead, EMERGE
caroline.nickerson@floridainnovation.org
407-562-7793