Connecting disciplines to confront changing seas

From understanding the physical forces driving sea level change to modeling their effects and helping scientists communicate those implications to communities, three members Virginia Tech recently contributed their expertise to the inaugural Summer School in Sea Level Science at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts.

Their participation reflects the missions of two Destination Area collaborations and Virginia Tech’s commitment to connecting faculty across disciplines to understand complex global systems, harness advanced data to inform decisions, and address environmental change in ways that advance the human condition. 

Md Shadman Sakib, a doctoral student in civil and environmental engineering, was selected as one of the program's participants, while Mike Willis, associate professor of cryospheric science, geodesy, and remote sensing in the Department of Geosciences, and Jessica Rich, a research faculty member in the Center for Advancing Undergraduate Science Education (CAUSE), served as invited lecturers.

Hosted by Woods Hole in partnership with NASA's Sea Level Change Team, the competitive summer program brought together early-career researchers, faculty, and scientists from disciplines including oceanography, engineering, atmospheric science, cryosphere research, and science communication to explore one of the world's most complex scientific challenges: understanding and preparing for changing sea levels.

For Sakib, whose research in Virginia Tech's Compound flood hazard and Risk Assessment in Low-lying areas lab (CoRAL) examines nonlinear system dynamics in compound coastal extremes, the opportunity allowed him to build on his engineering background by seeing what goes on behind the scenes.

"In our lab, we use sea level rise as a driver to study coastal flooding," Sakib said. "This experience gave me the chance to look more closely at the physical science behind those projections - especially the data, methods, and uncertainties that shape those estimates." 

Working alongside researchers from the Earth System Science & Policy Lab of Rutgers University – whose FACTS framework underpins many of today's sea level rise projections, spurred Sakib to form new questions about how changing seas affect coastal communities.

“The opportunity to receive support directly from the developers of FACTS as we applied it to our own projects was incredibly valuable,” said Sakib. 

One topic resonated especially strongly with his doctoral research: vertical land motion, or the gradual rise or sinking of Earth's surface, which can significantly influence local flooding dynamics.

"We knew vertical land motion was an understudied component of compound flooding," Sakib said. "The summer school reinforced that direction, and it aligned with where my research is already heading." 

Participants worked in multidisciplinary teams to develop short research projects — learning new modeling frameworks and collaborating with peers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as research institutions around the world.

Beyond the technical knowledge, Sakib said the experience reinforced the importance of professional relationships.

"Summer school is one of the best ways to get connected," he said. "You gain new tools, but you also gain friends and collaborators. Those relationships continue long after the program ends." 

One such resource is Mike Willis. Drawing on more than 25 years of research in glaciology, geodynamics, and satellite remote sensing, Willis helped participants better understand the physical processes driving sea level change. 

"The workshop was fantastic," he said. "One of the things I enjoyed most was seeing early-career scientists who were so excited and hopeful about providing solutions to these really complicated problems." 

Throughout the program, Willis emphasized how rapidly the cryosphere is changing and why that matters for sea level projections. "The phrase 'at a glacial pace' isn't really usable anymore," he said, noting that many glaciers around the world are losing ice at unprecedented rates.

A member of NASA's Sea Level Change Team, Willis contributes to an international effort developing coastal flood models for communities around the world. He said programs like the Woods Hole summer school are critical because no single discipline can answer today's questions about sea level change alone.

"We're all doing different pieces of the science," Willis said. "The goal is to integrate those perspectives so we better understand what's happening and help communities prepare for the future." 

Sakib said Willis' lectures demonstrated the value of that interdisciplinary approach.

"I've taken many classes, but Professor Willis is one of the best teachers I've ever had," Sakib said. "Even coming from an engineering background, I never felt lost. He made very complex concepts understandable."  Willis also brings levity into the classroom with projects like "Tracking Godzilla," a favorite among students.

While physical scientists explored glaciers, satellites, tides, and flood models, Jessica Rich brought another essential perspective: how knowledge moves from researchers to the communities ultimately affected by sea level change. “You have to meet people where they are,” said Rich.

As the only social scientist teaching during the first week of the program, Rich encouraged participants to think carefully about audiences, stakeholder engagement, and translating technical research into language communities can understand.

"There were so many different backgrounds represented," Rich said. "One challenge participants talked about was learning how to communicate outside their own research niche." 

Her session included an exercise challenging participants to explain their research without relying on technical language. Some groups developed stories, others created activities for children. 

“One presenter used Nutella jars to explain gigatons,” she said, “and one even wrote and performed a ukulele song about sea level rise!”

Rich added that science training pushes researchers to be as precise as possible. "When communicating with broader audiences, it can feel uncomfortable to let go of some of that precision. Learning where that balance is becomes really important." 

Rich was equally impressed by the collaborative atmosphere created by the organizers, who intentionally brought together researchers with different expertise and encouraged creative thinking throughout the program.

At the start of the program, a chaplain-led meditation created space for the emotional realities of climate research. 

"The organizers did a really nice job of bringing together people who genuinely wanted to work with the students and each other," she said. "It made for a really thoughtful and hopeful experience."