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SW-IFL UPDATES
OCTOBER 2025
*If you’d like a physical copy of this newsletter, please contact Shannon Zweig.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Oct 23: Observations Team Meeting
Nov 13: Leadership Team Meeting Resilient Solutions Team Meeting
Nov 14: Observations Team Meeting
Nov 21: Modeling Team Meeting
Dec 5: Observations Team Meeting
Dec 11: Leadership Team Meeting Resilient Solutions Team Meeting
Dec 19: Modeling Team Meeting
Jan 8: Newsletter submissions due for publication on Jan 16
Jan 8:
Leadership Team Meeting Resilient Solutions Team Meeting
2025 SW-IFL All Hands Meeting Recaps UIFL Transdisciplinary Team Seminars 2025 SW-IFL Annual Report
LEADERSHIP MESSAGE
Happy Fall, SW-IFL Team!
I want to start by thanking everyone who participated in the SW-IFL 2025 All-Hands Meeting at the University of Arizona last month It was an inspiring event, and I was truly impressed by the significant progress
As you know, this was our final annual meeting. We are now officially transitioning into an exciting new phase of SW-IFL activities. Our immediate focus will be on the dissemination of our findings, ensuring the impactful work we’ve completed reaches the broader scientific and practitioner communities through high-impact publications and research products This is a critical step in maximizing the return on our collective efforts.
Simultaneously, we are looking forward and building on the promising foundation we've established We will be launching spin-off initiatives to pursue the many exciting new research threads that emerged during the afternoon discussions at the All-Hands Meeting, and soon be convening working groups to further explore these ideas. Look for a survey from Shannon to hit your in-box on October 16 Be sure to submit your response by October 23rd. th
I am incredibly optimistic about what this new phase holds for the SW-IFL community. I have no doubt that this transition will lead to many new collaborations, funded projects, and the generation of exciting new science that will continue to move the needle in our field and exciting results presented by all of our research teams To have accomplished so much in a relatively short timeframe is a testament to the dedication, talent, and collaborative spirit of this entire SW-IFL team.
Thank you again for your incredible work. Let’s carry this momentum forward and make the next year our most impactful yet!
Sincerely, Dr. David Sailor SW-IFL Director
CROSS-UIFL SEMINAR SERIES
Quarterly the four DOE IFLs conduct a 90minute webinar that incorporates multiple presenters from the IFL’s on various topics. The objective is to facilitate technical exchanges and collaborations between the DOE’s UIFL teams.
These webinars are open to all and will be recorded for those unable to attend
On September 9th, 2025 Benjamin N. Sulman from Oak Ridge National Lab working with the Southeast Texas Urban Integrated Field Laboratory (SETx) presented a seminar on biogeochemistry If you missed this session, you can find the recording HERE
CROSS-IFL TRANSDISCIPLINARY
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
SESSIONS
As part of a cross-UIFL effort, a SW-IFL team is leading a project focused on strengthening transdisciplinary team science knowledge and practices across the UIFL network These professional learning sessions are a key component of the project and were held online for ease of accessibility across the UIFL research team members
Three workshops were held and recorded:
TRANSDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES FOR MOVING RESEARCH INTO ACTION ETHICS FOR ENGAGED AND TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH APPROACHES
Recordings and copies of the materials are now available on SW-IFL website, to access CLICK HERE.
ADDRESSING EXTREME HEAT AND ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIETAL STRESSORS THROUGH RESILIENT SOUTIONS & NEXTGENERATION PREDICTIVE TOOLS
PROJECT LEADS
David Sailor, ASU Jean Andino, ASU
2025 SW-IFL ALL HANDS MEETING RECAP
On September 25th, SW-IFL researchers, Advisory Board members, and community stakeholders came together in Tucson for the SW-IFL All Hands Meeting hosted by the University of Arizona to share the project’s year three accomplishments and research This one day event was filled with breakout sessions and discussions that generated ideas the continuation of SW-IFL research into the future
Once again the Advisory Board was excited to see the significant progress of the team and how they directly responded to last year’s recommendations by demonstrating a strong adaptability and commitment to the project’s objectives. This was further demonstrated by the impressive display of the SW-IFL Poster Session showcasing undergraduate, graduate, post-doc, and community members’ research projects that spanned Tucson, Phoenix, and Flagstaff areas.
They further recognized the success of the SW-IFL project in navigating the challenge of forming a coherent interdisciplinary team while advancing both scientifically and in outreach, to position itself well for sustainability planning
As the team looks forward, the Advisory Board suggested six areas that will allow the project to continue its impact beyond the end of the project. These areas include:
Strengthening Community, Policy, and Private-Sector Engagement
Securing Sustainable Funding and Legacy Support
Communicating Impact Through Clear, Actionable Messaging
Enhancing Data Usability and Decision Support
Broadening Scope and Integration for Future Funding Opportunities and Sustainability
Demonstrating Public Value through Integrative, Interdisciplinary Work
During our afternoon sessions the SW-IFL team came together to brainstorm potential working groups that will integrate SW-IFL research into future activities A post survey will be going out to the SW-IFL team in October to gauge interest in these working groups so we can begin planning next steps
If you would like to hear a recording of the main session and the presented posters, you can access the event recordings and submitted posters on the 2025 SW-IFL All Hands Meeting
Google Folder.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Researcher Recognitions
We are excited to recognize the accomplishments and honors earned by our Southwest Urban IFL research team members for their continued excellence in various research activities.
Dr. Jean Andino (ASU) was welcomed into the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists as a Board Certified Environmental Engineer - via eminence in Air Pollution Control. The Eminence pathway is granted to only to those the Academy “considers eminent in the Environmental Engineering field” and the designation serves to recognize the “Best of the Best”.
Dr Matei Georgescu (ASU) was asked to chair the “Bridging Horizons for Planetary Health Symposium” at a National Academies of Sciences (NAS) meeting in London in December 2025 This meeting serves as an essential pre-planning for a springtime symposium between the U.S. and China related to planetary health (health again, disorders of aging, food systems, pollinators, urbanization) that will be held in China in 2026 (Specific location, date, and time to be determined). Dr. Georgescu will be focusing on urbanization and looks forward to exploring cross-fertilization opportunities.
Dr. Ladd Keith (U of A) was awarded a position in the Fullbright Specialist Program. This program pairs highly qualified U.S. academics with host institutions to share their expertise. Dr. Keith will collaborate with academics and practitioners on heat resilience at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Patna, India in November 2025
Researcher Career Advancement
Arizona State post-doc researcher, Dr. Saeideh Sobhaninia, accepted a Visiting Assistant Professor position at the University of Washington, Department of Urban Design and Planning
sity of Arizona oc researchers, Malini Roy, ed an Assistant sor position at versity of Texas on, Department lic Affairs and Planning
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Patents
As of September 23, 2025 a patent is pending for Dr. Jean Andino (ASU) and her team’s Air Pollutant Control System and Methods application.
Citation: Andino,J M , Rana,A , Young, T , Air Pollutant Control System and Methods, US Patent Pending #63/886,567, filed 23 September 2025, US Patent and Trademark Office
Community Outreach
Chris Lim (U of A) presented “Climate, Air Pollution, and Health,” at the Mountain Mamas’ Lunch & Learn on August 27, 2025.
Research Activities
MaRTY Cart and Green infrastructure Data Dissemination
Led by Dr. Kristina Currans (U of A) in collaboration with the SW-IFL Observations Teams
The Resilient Solutions Team is compiling results of data collected from MaRTy cart research activities in Tucson, which focused on locations around Tucson with (and without) green infrastructure.
This summer, Heatmappers and UofA M.S. in Urban Planning graduate students compiled some initial findings into a Storymap as well as a poster for the SW-IFL All Hands Meeting. By the end of fall 2025, a memo will be completed for the MaRTy cart data collected and the broader results will be presented to the City of Tucson.
UofA student, Paul George-Blazevich making notes before starting MaRTy cart transect. Photo credit: Kristina Currans, UofA
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS CON’T.
Plan to Land
Led by Dr Kristina Currans and Dr Malini Roy (U of A)
In collaboration with the Planning Discovery team, data was collected on plan adoption in the Oracle Corridor and broader Tucson area, linking policy, program, and projects at a city/county-level to census tract level. The goal is to explore how planned policies can be linked with local projects that alter things like impervious surfaces and green infrastructure. This project aims to help develop processes and methods that better link plan evaluation for heat resilience at a local level. By the end of fall 2025, a draft paper will be completed, and the final paper will be delivered to the City of Tucson and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.
Travel Behavior Survey and “State of the Heat” Report
Led by Dr. Kristina Currans (U of A)
A mobility survey was deployed across Arizona to assess the impact of perceptions of heat on travel choices and identify latent or unmet demand for different activities. During fall 2025, work began on a descriptive summary of survey findings, which will be used for a report reflecting the “State of the Heat” in Arizona as well as peer review journal articles.
City of Tucson, Photo credit: JC Cervantes on Unsplash
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS CON’T.
K - 12 Education - Arizona Project WET
Led by Lisa Townsend (U of A)
Arizona Project Wet will continue implementation of SW-IFL content in its 4 grade and 7 /8 grade curricula. During last year’s Water Festivals, 13,611 students, 550 teachers, and 1,139 volunteers were exposed to SW-IFL supported content. Upcoming festivals will build on this progress and expose new teachers and students to content.
Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Annual Meeting
Dr Ladd Keith (U of A), Dr Sara Meerow (ASU), Dr Malini Roy (U of A), Dr Saeideh Sobhanini (ASU), Shaylynn Trego (ASU), and Alekzander Ryan Emerson (U of A)
In October, Planning Discovery team members will represent the SW-IFL at the ACSP Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They will present SW-IFL research, including three plan evaluation approaches for heat resilience across Arizona, the Integrated Climate Action Plan Evaluation approach, exploring Phoenix’s Shade Plan, a comparison of green infrastructure spatial planning, and the use of AI for climate planning.
Arizona Project WETTeacher Workshop. Photo credit, University of Arizona
PLANNED ACTIVITIES
Outreach and Presentations
Dr. Kristina Currans (U of A) will be presenting “HeatMapper/MaRTy Cart Heat Work,” to the City of Tucson’s Landscape Advisory Committee on October 15, 2025 in Tucson, Arizona.
Dr. Sara Meerow (ASU) will be presenting “Building a more resilient city: Using science to advance urban adaptation and improve decision making,” at the Environmental Defense Fund Science Day 2025 on October 8, 2025 in New York, New York.
Dr. Sara Meerow (ASU) will be presenting “Missed Connections: How Siloed Governance Undermines Urban Climate Resilience,” at the University of Minnesota on October 28, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Shovan Chowdhury, Fengqi Li, Avery Stubbings, and Joshua New (ORNL) will be presenting at the 2025 Buildings XVI International Conference in Clearwater Beach, Florida on December 8-11, 2025
PRESENTATIONS
Since July 2025, SW-IFL researchers have presented at the following conferences:
Urban Affairs Association Conference in Vancouver, Canada
12 International Conference on Urban Climate in Rotterdam, Belgium t h
t h
19 International Conference on Energy Sustainability in Colorado
Extreme Heat Workshop on Emerging Risks from Concurrent, Compounding and Record-Breaking Extreme Heat Across Sectors in New York, New York
50 Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop in Broomfield, Colorado t
International Society of Environmental Epidemiology & Exposure Science (ISES)
Joint International Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia
Building Simulation 2025 om Brisbane, Australia
PUBLICATIONS
During the SW-IFL project researchers engaged in numerous research activities and strive to share their finding in peer-reviewed publications. Our team’s most recent publications are highlighted below.
Dr Parag Joshi’s (BNL) published a roadmap to the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model’s urban schemes WRF is a powerful prediction tool that works much like a crystal ball, but for weather researchers who specialize in experiments and models, this tool is difficult to align their efforts with To bridge that gap Dr Joshi’s article in Geophysical Model Development: Lists WRF-Urban’s primary equations, maps them to their code line and puts into words how turbulent fluxes, radiation, and moisture processes are represented in the Bulk, SLUCM, BEP models.
Identifies assumptions and thresholds (e.g., bulk Richardson number regimes) that may introduce discontinuities or biases in predictions.
Proposes targeted observational strategies to evaluate key model variables like fluxes, canopylayer temperature, and radiative exchange.
Citation: Joshi, P , Lin, T -S , He, C , and Lamer, K : Urban Weather Modeling using WRF: Linking Physical Assumptions, Code Implementation, and Observational Needs, EGUsphere [preprint],https://doi org/10 5194/egusphere-20251751, 2025.
Watch SW-IFL’s 2025 HeatMapper, Ashley Faulk’s video story HERE.
PUBLICATIONS CON’T.
(UofA) Honghyok Kim, Chris Chaeha Lim, Toward equitable environmental exposure modeling through convergence of data, open, and citizen sciences: an example of air pollution exposure modeling amidst increasing wildfire smoke, Environmental Research, Volume 286, Part 2, 2025, 122881, ISSN 0013-9351, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.122881.
(ASU) Deepak Amaripadath, David J. Sailor, Systematic review on cooling benefits of landscape strategies for urban thermal environments in the United States, Sustainable Cities and Society, Volume 129, July 2025, 106497, ISSN 2210-6707, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2025.106497.
(ORNL) Li H ; Stubbings A ; Chowdhury S ; Li F ; New J (2025): Model America - 2022 Arizona Building Energy Simulation Results from ORNL's AutoBEM. Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory (SW-IFL), ESS-DIVE repository. Dataset. doi:10.15485/2513865
(ASU) Moustaoui, M., & Georgescu, M. (2025). Winds of change: The role of urban expansion and thermal advection in driving Phoenix's (AZ) warming trends. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 130, e2024JD043166. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JD043166
(ASU/UofA) Saeideh Sobhaninia, Sara Meerow, Ladd Keith, Malini Roy, Shaylynn Trego, Melina Matos, A comparison of plan integration for flood and heat resilience: A case study of Baltimore, Maryland, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Volume 127, 2025, 105638, ISSN 2212-4209, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105638..
(UofA) Stoker, P., Santiago, X., & Kear, M. (2025). Extreme heat vulnerability of manufactured housing in arid urban environments. Urban Studies, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980251351241.
MEDIA
Since July 2025, SW-IFL researchers have participated in 15 interviews with 10 different outlets
SW-IFL’s Modeling Team co-lead, Dr. Kevin Gurney from Northern Arizona University was interviewed by The New York Times for a recent series of articles titled, “Lost Science.” This series interviewed four research scientists to discuss the impact of federal funding cuts to research in both the science and communities. Dr. Gurney’s interview can be found HERE.
UPCOMING REMINDERS
December 2025: public-facing 2025 SW-IFL Annual Report will be released
December 15-19, 2025: AGU25 in New Orleans, Louisiana
January/February 2026: 2025 Q4 DOE Quarterly Report for activities from Oct-Dec 2025 Date TBD
January 25-29, 2026: 106 AMS Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas th
March 17-21, 2026: AAG 2026 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California
CALL FOR SW-IFL PHOTOS
Did you capture images or videos during the SW-IFL activities? If so, we’d love to have them. Feel free to upload your photos and videos throughout the year, but especially of this summer’s IOP campaigns and activities using this GOOGLE PHOTO FORM.
Please note, uploaded images and videos will be shared in our public facing annual report and in other various report outs for conferences and meetings through out the year.
RESOURCES
SW-IFL Team Google calendar (Internal use only)
SW-IFL Website
SW-IFL SharePoint Page (Internal use only)
SW-IFL Newsletter Sign Up
Email SW-IFL
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ADDRESSING EXTREME HEAT AND ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIETAL STRESSORS THROUGH RESILIENT SOUTIONS & NEXTGENERATION PREDICTIVE TOOLS
PROJECT LEADS
David Sailor, ASU Jean Andino, ASU