An Earth Hacks hackathon in 2019.
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Sanjana Paul is a 23-year-old scientist, electrical engineer and environmental activist on a mission.
Yes, she s worked at NASA. But her mission isn t to explore the outer edges of the solar system. Instead, it s to harness the full power of technology and the ingenuity of young people to solve our most pressing environmental challenges right here on Earth.
In addition to her former role as a junior atmospheric science software developer at NASA and her current work as a researcher at MIT, Sanjana is founder and executive director of Earth Hacks, an organization that hosts hackathons for college students to combat the climate crisis.
Leverage COVID-19 Data Collection Networks for Environmental Peacebuilding
Environmental peacebuilding could benefit from COVID-era data innovation. A well-documented obstacle environmental peacebuilders face is a lack of shared, empirical datasets among parties engaged in, recovering from, or descending into conflict. Current innovations in data collection may soon help seal these gaps.
Countries throughout the world have expanded their data collection capabilities to track the spread of COVID-19. From text message contact tracing to drone surveillance, these innovations inform national responses and shape the global case counting webpages that many of us anxiously refresh every day. The information networks established during the pandemic may endure far into the future, informing new goals, projects, and policies.