The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) took second place in the 2019 GEO Hack international competition with their proposed solution to track and combat the effects of climate change on rural Alaska communities' traditional food supplies. Developed by Space4Innovation, the #IndigenousHackathon challenged participants to use Earth Observation data to create innovative solutions to societal challenges.
UAS's solution, a mobile phone application that tracks paralytic shellfish poisoning and harmful algal blooms, won both the "Societal Value Award" and the "Usability and User Interface Award." The hackathon event brought together students, experts in Earth Observations (EO), NASA scientists, Alaska Native leaders, app developers, and staff from the National Weather Service, to develop solutions to societal challenges using EO data.
The event was described as an immersive educational experience that broke barriers and united different disciplines and cultures. Read more about UAS's solution here.
Comments