Drought and Health National Workshop

At this workshop, you will have the opportunity to: 

• Connect with a national network of peers and leaders

• Learn from innovative projects and data tools

• Collaborate on advancing effective drought-health solutions

• Contribute to shaping a national agenda for drought and health resilience

• Present your research to a national audience of drought and health leaders

*Agenda is subject to change or edits before the workshop.* 

Agenda: Day 1, Tuesday, September 30, 2025  (all times are in Central Time) 

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM Registration/Breakfast (Breakfast Provided) 

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM Welcome and Introductions  

9:15 AM – 9:45 AM Drought and Health: Setting the Stage  

Jesse Bell, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, and University of Nebraska-Lincoln  

9:45 AM – 10:30 AM PurpleAir Monitoring on the Flathead Reservation: Community Education & Data for Air Resilience (CEDAR)  

Kyle Bocinsky, Montana Climate Office, University of Montana  

Ian McRyhew, Salish Kootenai College Extension 

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM    Break 

10:45 AM – 11:30 AM Drought and Health: A State Climatologist’s Perspective Panel Discussion  

Dave DuBois, New Mexico Climate Center, New Mexico State University  

Kelsey Jencso, Montana Climate Office, University of Montana  

Larry O’Neill, Oregon Climate Service, Oregon State University 

Luigi Romolo, State Climate Office, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 

 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Lunch (Provided) 

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM Drought and Health: Partner Engagement and Community Messaging 

Rachel Lookadoo, University of Nebraska Medical Center  

Summer Woolsey, University of Nebraska Medical Center 

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Drought and Health Community Engagement Panel  

Jack Gordon, Douglas County Health Department  

Miranda Meehan, North Dakota State University 

James Rattling Leaf, Sr., Wolakota Lab LLC (Virtual) 

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM Connecting the Dots on Drought and Health with the National Integrated Drought Information System  

Molly Woloszyn, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)/University of Colorado and NOAA NIDIS 

2:30 PM – 2:45 PM Snack Break (Snacks Provided) 

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM Poster Sessions 

3:45 PM – 4:00 PM   Day 1 Closing  

Day 2, Wednesday, October 1, 2025 

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM Breakfast (Provided) 

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM   Welcome Back and Day 1 Recap 

9:15 AM – 10:00 AM A Health Practitioner’s Wishlist on Drought and Health  

Shubhayu Saha, Tracking California, Public Health Institute  

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM Drought and Health: Challenges for Epidemiological Research

Jesse Berman, University of Minnesota   

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM Break 

10:45 AM – 11:30AM  Advancing NASA Satellite Data Applications to Address Air Quality, Heat, and Public Health Risks: Case Studies from the NASA Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team (HAQAST)  

Jenny Bratburd, University of Wisconsin-Madison 

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Lunch (Provided) 

12:30 PM – 2:30 PM Drought and Health Research Talks    

• Long-term air quality impacts of wildfire and dust storms Daniel Tong, George Mason University 

• Individual and Compounding Health Impacts of Drought Exposure Kai Chen, Yale University  

• The Hidden Toll of Drought: Mental Health Consequences of Water Scarcity Azar Abadi, University of Alabama at Birmingham  

• Drought and Health: Exploring Respiratory and Cardiovascular Mortality Risks Yeongjin Gwon, University of Nebraska Medical Center 

2:30 PM – 2:45 PM Snack Break (Snacks Provided) 

2:45 PM – 4:30 PM Workshop Synthesis and Next Steps Exercise 

We welcome participants from a range of sectors, including:

• Public health and healthcare

• Climate and environmental sciences

• Tribal and community organizations

• Emergency management and disaster preparedness

• Academic and research institutions

• Local, state, and federal agencies

We are excited to partner with the Holiday Inn St. Paul Downtown at 175 West 7th Street, St. Paul, MN, 55102 to offer a discounted room rate for participants. There will be a room block available for participants and a registration code for the discounted rate will be provided to you via email upon your registration. The discounted rate will be available until September 8, 2025. 

The Holiday Inn at St. Paul Downtown is within walking distance of the Science Museum (just over a block). Hotel amenities include an indoor pool and whirlpool, meeting facilities, a business center, and a fitness room. Guest room amenities include refrigerators, microwaves, and Keurig coffee makers. Complimentary shuttle within a 5-mile radius, based on availability.