AWE+ 2025 Collaborative
Wildfire & Beyond – Building an Adaptable and Resilient World
The AWE+2025 Collaborative will carry forward and reinforce the objectives of AWE+, a DRI global initiative formed in 2024 to strengthen collaborative efforts in building an Adaptable World Environment against weather extremes such as wildfire, heatwaves, flooding, and droughts. AWE+2025 will build upon conversations started at the August 2024 AWE+ summit where DRI brought together stakeholders of various disciplinary backgrounds to consider matters of resilience and recovery in light of the devastating impacts of wildfires occurring with increasing intensity across the United States and Canada.
We invite 2024 participants to continue the conversation
and welcome interested persons new to the AWE+ experience to join right in.
2025 Agenda
8 AM TO 8:30 AM
Continental Breakfast
8:30 AM TO 8:50 AM
Opening Remarks
Welcome to DRI and Introduction to AWE+ 2025
Chair Alexis Hill, Washoe County Board of Commissioners
Dr. Kumud Acharya, President, DRI
Dr. Vic Etyemezian, Vice President of Research, DRI
8:50 AM TO 10:40 AM
Session One
Moving the Resilience Needle on Wildfire: Facing the Inevitable
8:55 AM TO 9:45 AM
Panel One
Advancing Economic, Environmental, Social, and Health Measures for Meaningful Recovery
Dr. Tamara Wall, Moderator, Deputy Director, Western Regional Climate Center, DRI
Stacey Sargent Frederick, Wildfire Community Preparedness, UNR Living with Fire
David Shew, Wildfire DefenseWorks, Wildfire Resiliency Consultant
William “Bill” Steward, Wildland Fire Coordinator, Truckee Meadows Community College
Forest Schafer, Deputy Director, California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force
9:50 AM TO 10:40 AM
Panel Two
Building Smarter Communities: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Fostering Innovation
Dr. Tim Brown, Moderator, Director, Western Regional Climate Center, DRI
Marybel Batjer, Partner, California Strategies
Jesse Murray, SVP of Energy Delivery, NV Energy
Dr. Michael Wara, Director of Climate & Energy Policy Program, Stanford University
10:40 AM TO 11:10 AM — Break
11:10 AM TO 12:10 PM
Session Two
Wildfire Resilience: The Los Angeles Fires as a Case for Urgent Change and Adaptation
Marybel Batjer, Moderator, Partner, California Strategies
Dr. Anukool Lakhina, Cofounder & CEO, BurnBot
Dr. Michael Wara, Director of Climate & Energy Policy Program, Stanford University
Jessica Block, M.S., Associate Director of Emergency Response, Societal Computing & Innovation Lab, UC San Diego
Dr. Tony Marino, Deputy Director, California Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety
12:10 PM TO 1:25 PM
Luncheon
1:30 PM TO 2:20 PM
Session Three
Drilling Down on Cascading Impacts of Fire: Air Quality and Soil Toxicity, Hydrology, and Human Ecosystems
Naomi Duerr, P.G., M.A., Moderator, Reno City Councilmember, Ward 2
Dr. Sean McKenna, Executive Director, Division of Hydrologic Sciences, DRI
Kara Steeland, Hydrologist, Truckee Meadows Water Authority
Dr. Nicholas Nassikas, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Vera Samburova, Associate Research Professor, Division of Atmospheric Sciences, DRI
2:25 PM TO 3:15 PM
Session Four
Drilling Down on Synergistic Effects: Wildfire Smoke and Extreme Heat
Dr. Naresh Kumar, Moderator, Executive Director, Division of Atmospheric Sciences, DRI
Ariel Choinard, M.S., Project Coordinator, Nevada Heat Lab & California Nevada Applications Program
Francisco Vega, P.E., M.B.A., Division Director of Air Quality Management, Northern Nevada Public Health
Dr. Scott Epstein, Planning & Rules Manager, Air Quality Assessment, South Coast Air Quality Management District
3:15 pm to 3:45 pm — Break
3:45 PM TO 4:05 PM
A Glimpse of a Future AWE+ Summit: Potential Big Weather Imperatives
Dr. Vic Etyemezian, Vice President of Research, DRI
4:15 PM TO 5:30 PM
President’s Cocktail Reception
2025 Sponsors
