TALLAHASSEE, FL — Florida State University’s Department of Computer Science, in collaboration with the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering’s RIDER Center and multiple institutional partners, successfully hosted the 1st North Florida Wildfire Science & Technology Workshop on Friday, March 13, 2026, at IGNITE Tallahassee. The full-day event brought together researchers, practitioners, and community stakeholders to advance interdisciplinary solutions for wildfire prediction, infrastructure resilience, and emergency decision-making.
Organized by Dr. Yushun Dong (FSU Computer Science), Dr. Eren Erman Ozguven (FAMU-FSU RIDER Center), Dr. Neetesh Sharma (FAMU-FSU RIDER Center), Ellen Piekalkiewicz (FSU Stoops Center), Dr. Mehmet Öztan (FAMU-FSU RIDER Center), and Lincan Li (FSU Computer Science), the workshop addressed the growing urgency of wildfire risk in North Florida and beyond, where compound environmental drivers — including climate variability, fuel dynamics, and Wildland-Urban Interface expansion — increasingly challenge existing response systems.
The program featured five invited talks from leading experts across the country:
– Dr. Ilkay Altintas (University of California San Diego), Chief Data Science Officer of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, spoke on data-sharing platforms and cyberinfrastructure for wildfire science.
– Dr. Neda Yaghoobian (Florida State University), NSF CAREER awardee, presented on atmospheric dynamics, fuel moisture, and wildfire plume behavior.
– Dr. Xilei Zhao (University of Florida), recipient of the NASEM Gulf Research Program Early-Career Research Fellowship, addressed wildfire evacuation and human mobility.
– Dr. J. Morgan Varner (Tall Timbers Research Station), Director of Research and author of over 150 publications, discussed prescribed burning and fire ecology in the Southeastern United States.
– Dr. Neetesh Sharma (FAMU-FSU College of Engineering) presented on infrastructure resilience under wildfire risk using machine learning and uncertainty quantification methods.
A multidisciplinary discussion panel further enriched the program with perspectives from local practitioners, including Ms. Divina Lade of the Apalachee Regional Planning Council, who shared insights on regional wildfire planning and community preparedness, and Mr. Donald Johnson Jr. of the City of Tallahassee Fire Department, who contributed frontline experience in wildfire management and emergency response.
The workshop was made possible through the generous support of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, RIDER Center, Learning Systems Institute FSU, Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy, FSU Department of Computer Science, FSU Department of Geography, Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children, and IGNITE FSU.
This event marks a significant step toward building a sustained North Florida wildfire science and technology community. For more information, please contact Dr. Yushun Dong at yushun.dong@fsu.edu