CISL Seminar: icepyx collaborations to build open community and scientific software
1:00 – 2:00 pm MDT
Abstract
Scientific software is a critical link between data and the exploration and answering of research questions. As data volumes continue to grow exponentially, efficient data access and the ability to analyze large datasets has become a prerequisite for working within the scientific research enterprise. At the same time, establishing and maintaining your own codebase on top of building domain expertise leaves little time or energy for engaging in truly novel and creative research. Open, collaborative efforts in scientific software development can minimize the time and effort any one researcher spends developing tools for common data manipulation tasks or particular datasets, yet it requires a shift in how we work away from historic methods of downloading data and coding in isolation. This shift is cultural as well as technological in nature and mandates learning new skills in both spaces. icepyx provides both a community and software library for users of data from NASA's ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite 2) Mission. Its goals are to build shared software infrastructure while providing opportunities for open collaboration, including learning the necessary skills to contribute to open-source scientific software. Part of a broader ecosystem of ICESat-2 related tooling and educational efforts, icepyx enables co-creation and builds community while providing a useful tool to easily access and work with ICESat-2 data. Fundamentally, it supports the idea of collaboratively produced, open scientific software as an integral part of the modern research enterprise.
Name
Dr. Jessica Scheick
Dr. Jessica Scheick is a glaciologist, open-source software developer and maintainer, remote sensing expert, open science advocate, and lifelong lover of snow, winter, and the outdoors. She is currently a Research Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, where she works on iceberg-focused glaciological research, develops and maintains multiple open-source research-enabling software packages (including icepyx and earthaccess), and helps earth scientists build skills in open science and collaborative open-source software development. When she's not working, you can find Jessica enjoying the outdoors, skiing, dancing, and spending time with her family.