Math Institute workshop to focus on how math and statistics can address climate change

Leaders in math, statistics, atmospheric sciences to discuss tools to understand impacts on society

The accelerating effects of global climate change—including destructive wildfires, intensifying tropical storms, severe drought and coastal flooding—pose major risks to civic infrastructure, the natural environment and human health. 

To address these challenges, the Institute for Mathematical and Statistical Innovation (IMSI) at the University of Chicago is hosting a five-day interdisciplinary workshop starting March 1 that brings together leaders in mathematics, statistics and atmospheric sciences to begin developing tools to help guide responses to extreme weather events at a local, regional and national scale.

Launched in 2020, IMSI brings together mathematicians and statisticians to collaborate and bring powerful new mathematical ideas to bear on key scientific and technological challenges through a variety of programs. In October, it convened a diverse group of scientific and public health experts to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic. It recently concluded another workshop focused on materials science.

The latest workshop brings together leading researchers from across the U.S., Canada and the U.K. to present on a variety of topics related to modeling and predicting the impacts of climate change.

It will serve as a precursor to a future semester-long program to develop next-generation suites of science-driven mathematical and statistical tools to address decision-relevant climate hazards and impacts, foster new multidisciplinary collaborations with academic institutions, and integrate young scientists and researchers into industry, private sector and academic research through partnerships with affiliated universities, national labs and private industry.

The workshop will take place online March 1-5, 2021; registration closes on Feb. 25.

To view the full schedule and to register, visit: www.imsi.institute/confronting-climate-change.