Visual SciComm Seminar Series
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Spring 2026 Visual SciComm Seminar
Join us for this virtual speaker series on a wide range of topics related to visual scientific communication.
The Spring series will take place on Fridays (see each session for the exact times). Participants must register for each session separately to receive the Zoom link.
Sign up to receive updates as this and future semester’s speakers are added to the series.
If you are interested in being a future speaker, please email Sara Kobilka at [email protected].
Friday, February 20, 9am AZ time/11am ET
From Data Table to 3d Visualization: Sap Flow in Cacao Trees
Devin Bayly
Data and Visualization Consultant, University of Arizona
Certain visualizations for science communication have goals that require a more cinematic approach while preserving their connection to the original underlying data. Devin Bayly will explore this subject through the lens of a collaboration with Biosphere 2 Rainforest researchers exploring visualizations of a Cacao tree sap flow dataset. He will share information on drafting a development plan, tips about data preparation for integration with 3d models, mechanisms to ensure that the animation can integrate with other info-vis materials, and suggestions for integration with other media. Less of a “here’s how to do this for yourself”, this talk is more of a “this is how the process may look” and “what may be useful to keep in mind” when considering cinematic visualizations.
Friday, March 6, 9am AZ time/11am ET
Slowing Down to See More: Using the Arts to Improve Scientific Data Literacy
Jessica Sickler
Principal Evaluator
We are bombarded with data visualizations in everyday life. But how do people learn to critically interpret what data mean – and what they don’t? This talk shares a paradigm shift for data literacy education: instead of centering the mechanics of scientific data analysis, we turned to the expertise of arts educators. Jessica will present research showing how a visual arts-based model transformed students’ relationship with geospatial data. You’ll see how slowing down, dissecting symbols, and inviting divergent views enables people to “look under the hood” of complex data visualizations, turning data literacy from an act of rote decoding into generative, evidence-based sensemaking.
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Registration is closed
Friday, March 20, 9am AZ time/noon ET
InSightFull: The Ripple Effect of Math Accessibility Updates in Microsoft 365
Math accessibility is essential for ‘who gets to be’ in STEM, but math equations are often overlooked or assumed to be irrelevant to disabled students.
Blind student Ailee Dixon and STEM educator Sara Shunkwiler share research, stats, and stories behind disability belonging in STEM. Join them for a sometimes-irreverent look at their disability journey from bathroom stalls inaccessible to wheelchairs to equations inaccessible to screen readers. They are joined by Microsoft developer Peter Wu who answered their plea for help and will demonstrate new accessibility updates in Microsoft 365.
Together, we’ll explore the ripple effect of math accessibility and equitable access for STEM students, workplace professionals, and content creators. It will be InSightFull!
Friday, April 3, 9am AZ time/noon ET
Communicating Complex Data through 3D Representation: Examples of Planetarium Visualizations and Data Physicalizations
How can we make complex data more accessible, engaging, and meaningful? S. Sandra Bae and Takanori Fujiwara, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Arizona will introduces the research vision of the D-REP Lab (Data Representation Lab) which they co-lead. The lab explores how data representation can bridge abstract data and human understanding. Data representation is how raw data takes form—whether as a 2D visualization, a 3D model, a physical object, or an immersive environment. They will present recent projects that investigate novel forms of 3D data visualization and tangible interfaces. These include (1) Cosmic View of Life on Earth, an immersive planetarium-scale visualization which employs a 3D dimensionality reduction method to hierarchically depict biological diversity; and (2) interactive 3D-printed data physicalizations built using a computational design pipeline that integrates form and interactivity as a unified fabrication workflow. Together, these works demonstrate how new forms of data representation can expand our capacities for communicating and engaging with complex scientific data.