Water Whys UA

Math is the highly visual language of STEM and a mandatory prerequisite for degrees in fields. 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.

In the third session of this semester's Water Whys Visual SciComm Seminar series, blind student Ailee Dixon and STEM educator Sara Shunkwiler will share research, stats, and stories behind disability belonging in STEM.

They'll offer 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!

Join us Friday at 9am AZ time/ noon ET.

The event is FREE, but you must register to receive the Zoom link. https://waterwhys.org/seminar/spring-2026/

Today's the day! It's lights...camera...action!

We're talking about bringing cinematic techniques to visual science communication with the first speaker in the Water Whys Spring 2026 Visual SciComm Seminar series, Devin Bayly.

We've seen a sneak peek of what they're creating and can assure you, it's some cool stuff!

Devin will be discussing a partnership with The University of Arizona Biosphere 2 Rainforest researchers and how they took a data table of Cacao tree sap flow, a rather mundane thing for most people, and transformed it into visually compelling 3D model. Rather than telling seminar attendees how to do this on their own, he'll will pull back the curtain on what this process might look like and provide helpful things to keep in mind when creating visualizations from data.

Today (Feb 20), 9-10am AZ time / 11 am-noon ET

This is a FREE virtual series for anyone interested in visually communicating science but you must register to receive the Zoom link. https://waterwhys.org/seminar/spring-2026/

And if you missed this talk, check out the other three we have scheduled in the coming months!

Image Descriptions:

Page 1 Flyer for the Spring 2026 Visual SciComm Seminar speaker Devin Bayly. A Water Whys logo is at the top left with a question mark embedded in an upside down water droplet. At the center is Devin's picture. The background in the lower half is reminiscent of waves. Content in post.

Page 2, Picture of a Cacao tree on the left with a visualization of sap flow in the upper right and text in the lower right, "Designing a cinematic data visualization: Blending sensor data, simulations, and physical reconstructions into a cohesive visual whole.

Water Whys is a project of Dr. Laura Condon from The University of Arizona, Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences

Visual science communication is SO much more than a chart in a journal article or on a scientific poster!

Once again, Water Whys is expanding the conversation with our FREE Visual SciComm Seminar Series! Just us on Fridays for stimulating talks on a range of topics including:

- Designing a cinematic data visualization based on a tree at Biosphere 2 as Devin Bayly discusses his work as a data and visualization consultant at The University of Arizona.

- Using strategies from the arts to build students' data literacy skills from a project Jessica Sickler's team at J. Sickler Consulting was part of called Building Insights through Observation​ (or BIO).

- The ripple effect of math accessibility emerging from new accessibility updates to Microsoft 365 during a talk by Ailee Dixon (blind disability & STEM equity advocate) Sara Shunkwiler (disabled engineer & STEM educator at John Hopkins University) and Peter Wu (Microsoft software engineering manager).

- Novel ways to communicate complex data through 3d representation including on a planetarium screen with Sandra Bae and Takanori Fujiwara from the University of Arizona.

Register for each talk individually on the Water Whys website to receive the Zoom link. https://waterwhys.org/seminar/spring-2026/

How do you morph a data chart into something cinematic?

The Spring 2026 Water Whys Visual SciComm Seminar Series starts next Friday morning and we're joined by The University of Arizona Data and Visualizations Consultant Devin Bayly.

He'll be discussing a partnership with Biosphere 2 Rainforest researchers and how they took a data table of Cacao tree sap flow, a rather mundane thing for most people, and transformed it into visually compelling 3D model. Rather than telling seminar attendees how to do this on their own, in this talk, Devin will pull back the curtain on what this process might look like and share helpful things to keep in mind when creating visualizations from data.

Register for this and the other three sessions in this FREE seminar series on the Water Whys website to receive the Zoom link. Each session must be registered for separately. https://waterwhys.org/seminar/spring-2026/

Hope you'll share this and join us!

Water Whys is a project from a team at the The University of Arizona, Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences

Walk into a science museum and you'll see the power of engaging with science through art and interactivity. Visitors enter a unique environment designed to engage their senses, pique their curiosity and create "a-ha" moments.

This October 31st from 11am-noon AZ time / 2-3pm ET, Shiloe Fontes, from the The University of Arizona's Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium will be the third speaker for our Visual SciComm Seminar series.

Science communication is one of the most important parts of science—but it’s often overlooked and can feel intimidating. Art offers a way back to science’s roots, where creative expression was used to share complex ideas in ways anyone could understand. In this talk, Shiloe Fontes, Planetarium and Design Manager, explores how blending art, design, and interactivity can bring science to life in fresh and exciting ways. From digital media to immersive experiences, we’ll look at how creative approaches can break down barriers, spark curiosity, and invite everyone to connect with science in new and meaningful ways.

Register on our website to receive a calendar invite with the Zoom link for this FREE event. https://waterwhys.org/seminar/fall-2025/

Sure, you could look at a map of the Earth's atmosphere, but imagine how much more awe inspiring it would be to see that projected on a 6-ft sphere lit from within!!

The earth (and all many bodies in the universe) are spheres, yet we're so often limited to 2-dimensional representations of their systems.

This Friday, October 3, our Visual SciComm Seminar kicks off at 11am AZ time / 2pm ET Time.

Dr. Cèleste Frazier Barthel, STEM educator, will highlight the power of 3D visualization in scientific communication, focusing on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Science on a Sphere®. Reaching more than 60 million people each year, this powerful dynamic tool provides a more complete, accurate and immersive way to communicate global-scale scientific information than traditional 2D models. Cèleste will discuss the “wow factor” her research found when people engaged with this tool and how the images are designed.

This virtual talk is from 2-3pm ET / 11am-noon Arizona Time and is FREE and open to everyone.

Register to get the Zoom link. https://waterwhys.org/seminar/fall-2025/

It's time to talk visual science communication again!

We are excited to return with another virtual series full of unique conversations around visual science communication.

This semester's speakers topics include:

- 3D communication using NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration's "Science on a Sphere® (Dr. Cèleste Frazier Barthel)

- Combining design and psychology to engage audiences (Dr. Mike Morrison)

- The profound impact of embracing creative expression when communicating science (Shiloe Fontes)

- The unique challenges of serving as a graphic designer on an interdisciplinary team (Megan Roxbury)

Visual SciComm Seminar talks are held via Zoom Fridays from 11am-noon AZ time starting on October 3.

Registration is free but is required for each session. These sessions are open to The University of Arizona community and anyone else interested in science communication so please share this widely.

Sign up today! https://waterwhys.org/seminar/fall-2025/

Water Whys is co-led by Sara Kobilka and Dr. Laura Condon from the The University of Arizona, Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences

Thank you so much KGUN 9 for coming for the unveiling of our latest project! Our students and graphic designers were thrilled to work with the Tucson National Weather Service and Tucson International Airport to make this a reality. We look forward to creating more graphics this fall and spring!

Graphic weather: New airport signs warn travelers of Tucson’s unique weather hazards A new graphic, now cycling through the airport’s digital displays, aims to educate visitors about the unique hazards of Southern Arizona’s summer climate

Tomorrow Sara Kobilka (co-instructor with Dr. Laura Condon) will be representing the Water Whys team at the 52nd Conference on Broadcast and Digital Meteorology from the American Meteorological Society

She'll be sharing the graphics our team has created to support efforts to keep people informed and safe, including during storms that impact burn scars.



Image Description: Screenshot list Sara Kobilka of Renaissance Woman Consulating as presenter for a session entitled "Visualizing Water Science: Empowering Meteorologists to Communicate Hydrological Issues"

When you think of visual science communication, you may initially think of data visualization and images. But the complexity of science opens it up to so much more. What could we share if we visualized science as sculpture, in film or in a dance performance? (And if that last idea intrigues you, search for "Dance Your PhD" on YouTube or check out the phenomenal TED Talk of the Dance Your PhD founder linked to in the comments).

Water Whys UA is excited to have a former team member, Alex Lombard, joining as our fourth and final speaker in the Spring 2025 Visual SciComm Seminar Series.

Join us this Friday, April 4 at 11am AZ time / 2pm ET.

By exploring collaborations between scientists and artists, artist-researcher Alex Lombard will look at the value of shifting scientific communication into artistic forms like sculpture, film, and performance. While diagrams and scientific visualizations convey certainty, these other mediums reflect science as it truly is—complex, dynamic, and full of questions. By abstracting the context in which we present explanations, we open new ways of seeing and understanding.

Register to receive a calendar invite with the Zoom link. https://waterwhys.org/seminar/spring-2025/



Image Description: Flyer for the 2025 Visual SciComm Seminar speaker Alex Lombard. A Water Whys logo is at the top left with a question mark embedded in an upside down water droplet. At the center is Alex's picture in an outdoor setting. The background in the lower half is reminiscent of waves. Content above.