{"id":189382,"date":"2025-05-06T11:39:04","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T15:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/?p=189382"},"modified":"2025-05-06T11:39:04","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T15:39:04","slug":"gso-researchers-reimagine-how-we-visualize-science-at-risds-vis-a-thon-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/news\/gso-researchers-reimagine-how-we-visualize-science-at-risds-vis-a-thon-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"GSO researchers reimagine how we visualize science at RISD&#8217;s Vis-a-thon 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">May 5, 2025<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Three GSO community members recently participated in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vis-a-thon.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vis-a-thon 2025<\/a>, a unique collaborative program hosted by RISD\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/naturelab.risd.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab<\/a>. Ph.D. candidates <a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/meet\/phillip-yang\/\">Philip Yang<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/meet\/coralie-rodriguez\/\">Coralie Rodriguez<\/a>, along with postdoctoral fellow <a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/meet\/connor-love\/?\">Connor Love<\/a>, were each paired with a RISD graduate student to explore how art-based approaches to visualization can advance their research and uncover new opportunities for connecting with diverse, non-science audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vis-a-thon is led by RISD&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.risd.edu\/people\/georgia-rhodes\">Georgia Rhodes<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/stewstew.cargo.site\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stewart Skylar Copeland<\/a> and is supported by the National Science Foundation through a $8 million award to strengthen Rhode Island\u2019s research enterprise. The funding is part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rinsfepscor\/current-initiatives\/\">Rhode Island Network for Excellence in Science and Technology (RII-NEST)<\/a>, a statewide partnership between URI, the Narragansett Indian Tribe, Brown University, Rhode Island College, RISD, and Roger Williams University, dedicated to advancing science and technology across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Vis-a-thon program was split into two modules:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Visualization Intensive<\/strong> was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.risd.edu\/news\/stories\/research-scientists-use-art-to-express-complex-ideas-at-vis-a-thon-2025-in-risds-nature-lab\">full-day workshop focused on building visual literacy<\/a>. Through breakout sessions, talks from RISD community members, and a visit to the RISD Museum in Providence, GSO students explored how visualization can serve as both an analytical tool and a means of scientific communication. By the end of the day, they had developed and pitched project ideas to carry forward during Vis-a-thon Weekend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vis-a-thon Weekend<\/strong> was a two-day event where participants brought their project proposals to life, working closely with critics and collaborators and being provided technical resources and lab support. The weekend concluded with a debriefing session, offering space for reflection, discussion, and documentation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Read about the three GSO researchers projects below:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Connor Love:<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/7113fec8-1dfa-4364-8d94-6bec85e7e1b1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-189421\" style=\"width:444px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/7113fec8-1dfa-4364-8d94-6bec85e7e1b1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/7113fec8-1dfa-4364-8d94-6bec85e7e1b1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/7113fec8-1dfa-4364-8d94-6bec85e7e1b1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/7113fec8-1dfa-4364-8d94-6bec85e7e1b1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/7113fec8-1dfa-4364-8d94-6bec85e7e1b1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/7113fec8-1dfa-4364-8d94-6bec85e7e1b1-364x273.jpg 364w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/7113fec8-1dfa-4364-8d94-6bec85e7e1b1-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/7113fec8-1dfa-4364-8d94-6bec85e7e1b1-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/7113fec8-1dfa-4364-8d94-6bec85e7e1b1-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/7113fec8-1dfa-4364-8d94-6bec85e7e1b1-2000x1500.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/7113fec8-1dfa-4364-8d94-6bec85e7e1b1-scaled.jpg 2560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Connor&#8217;s project with collaborator, Rong.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>GSO postdoctoral fellow <a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/meet\/connor-love\/?\">Connor Love<\/a> collaborated with RISD student Rong Xu to transform long-term water temperature data from the central Red Sea into an immersive sound and animation experience. Using data collected by the KAUST Eco-Oce Lab, the project mapped the dramatic 2024 marine heatwave, which bleached and killed nearly all corals above 20 meters, into an audiovisual piece projected onto a burning sculpture. The work not only visualized climate data but also explored the emotional weight and human impact of ocean warming.<\/p>\n\n\n<section class=\"cl-wrapper cl-quote-wrapper\"><div class=\"cl-quote  \"><div class=\"cl-quote-image\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/connorlove-copy.jpg)\" title=\"\"><\/div><blockquote>I learned a ton about how different people approach a project like this and how the different approaches of artists, designers and scientists to the same topic can produce vastly different results. I was really inspired by how artists could so quickly transform the scientific concept into a communicative or emotional artistic decision.<\/blockquote><cite>Connor Love<\/cite><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The projection:<\/h4>\n\n\n<div class=\"oembed oembed-youtube-com\" style=\"\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_k7n9jyxpt0\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Red Sea 2024 - reef temperature sonification + visualization\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_k7n9jyxpt0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Coralie Rodriguez:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ph.D. candidate <a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/meet\/coralie-rodriguez\/\">Coralie Rodriguez<\/a> studies ferromanganese crusts, deep-sea rocks made out of seawater. &#8220;My original idea was to tell a story about the rocks and their connection with the ocean as a way to bring the deep-sea up to land\u2014submarine to subaerial,&#8221; she shared. Her project explored the contrast between order and disorder through textile art, symbolizing the tension between man-made and raw materials. Coralie collaborated with RISD&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/temaite\/?hl=en\">Maite Sosa Methol <\/a>to experiment with knitting techniques that visually reflect this theme. They grew alum crystals on the textile to emphasize natural irregularity, then painted them with powdered ferromanganese crust, bringing a literal element of Coralie&#8217;s research into the piece.<\/p>\n\n\n<section class=\"cl-wrapper cl-quote-wrapper\"><div class=\"cl-quote  \"><div class=\"cl-quote-image\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/Coralie-Rodriguez.png)\" title=\"\"><\/div><blockquote>Coming up with a project proposal and talking with the RISD collaborators about the piece helped me to frame my own research in a really useful way. For me, it can be easy to hyper-focus on certain and separate chapters, manuscripts, or projects, but participating in Vis-a-thon helped me to get a larger perspective on my project at a time that was crucial for my own growth as a scientist.<\/blockquote><cite>Coralie Rodriguez<\/cite><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"189438\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-32-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-189438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-32-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-32-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-32-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-32-364x364.jpg 364w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-32-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-32-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-32.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"189440\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-33-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-189440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-33-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-33-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-33-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-33-364x364.jpg 364w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-33-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-33-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-33.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"189439\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-30-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-189439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-30-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-30-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-30-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-30-364x364.jpg 364w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-30-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-30-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-30.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Philip Yang<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ph.D. candidate <a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/meet\/phillip-yang\/\">Philip Yang<\/a> was interested in bringing to life scientific data gathered from mesophotic reef ecosystems (situated between shallow, brightly lit waters and the deep ocean) in the Gulf of Mexico\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/flowergarden.noaa.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary<\/a>. Collaborating with RISD&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/pablovcazares.com\/\">Pablo Cazares<\/a>, they worked though how to &#8220;blur the lines between a coral\u2019s home and our own experience of home, space, time, and environmental forces,&#8221; shared Philip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"189427\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-29-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-189427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-29-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-29-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-29-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-29-364x364.jpg 364w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-29-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-29-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-29.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"189426\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-31-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-189426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-31-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-31-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-31-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-31-364x364.jpg 364w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-31-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-31-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-31.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"189425\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-32-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-189425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-32-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-32-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-32-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-32-364x364.jpg 364w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-32-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-32-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/2-32.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:52px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The final work featured a lander-like structure positioned on a concrete base embedded with sand, coral molds, and dried bacterial mats to represent the passage of time. Behind the sculpture, a series of underwater photographs, captured during an August 2024 expedition, depict the &#8220;vast blue void&#8221; often encountered in deep-sea research, highlighting both the isolation of the environment and the persistence required to study it.<\/p>\n\n\n<section class=\"cl-wrapper cl-quote-wrapper\"><div class=\"cl-quote  \"><div class=\"cl-quote-image\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/PhilYang-copy-e1729176887215.jpeg)\" title=\"\"><\/div><blockquote>By performing the art process in a more structured way on a time crunch and with a final critique, I learned more about how that process is not so different from the scientific process that I am most familiar with. Science starts with questions, and so does art, and both forms seek to reach some sort of answer.<\/blockquote><cite>Philip Yang<\/cite><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rinsfepscor\/current-initiatives\/\">Rhode Island Network for Excellence in Science and Technology<\/a> (RII-NEST) is an initiative of <a href=\"https:\/\/nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov\/files\/rhode_island_factsheet.pdf?VersionId=73nifCUptIfW5_OOPaPXksFA1wsAYEJ9\">Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR<\/a>. Based at the University of Rhode Island and funded through the National Science Foundation and RI Commerce, RI-EPSCoR has supported statewide partnerships among institutions of higher education, government, industry and communities to develop basic, use-inspired, translational and applied scientific research addressing real-world problems locally and beyond.<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The unique collaborative program was hosted by RISD\u2019s Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab &amp; supported through RII-NEST.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4762,"featured_media":189417,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-189382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4762"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189382"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":189456,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189382\/revisions\/189456"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}