Adelaide Byers

Adelaide Byers is a Science Communication and Outreach Intern at the Xylem Lab, University of Maryland, where she works closely with Dr. Catherine Nakalembe and the team to maximize the impact of Earth observation (EO) and food security research. She graduated from the University of Maryland in Spring 2026 with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy and continues to contribute her expertise to the lab following graduation.

Ms. Byers' work is central to the lab's mission of bridging the gap between technical science and public engagement. She develops educational remote sensing content, manages social media, plans outreach events, and translates technical research outcomes into accessible, actionable information for policymakers, stakeholders, students, and the public. She also supports grant preparation and editing, reviewing scientific documents for clarity, consistency, and accessibility across diverse audiences.

Although her role in the Lab centers on scientific communication, Ms. Byers' personal research interests are rooted in marine bioacoustics and spatial ecology, investigating the effects of human activities on marine ecosystems. She is currently pursuing graduate-level research that utilizes bioacoustics, drone telemetry, and spatial modeling to understand how human-generated noise impacts the behavior, health, and distribution of baleen whales.

Working across both fields has reinforced her belief in the interconnectedness of environmental systems, where core themes of environmental change, human impact, and sustainability consistently emerge across disciplines, from oceans to food systems. Ms. Byers is also interested in the broader challenges of scientific communication, including how culture, accessibility, representation, and public perception influence how research is understood and applied. Ultimately, she seeks to ensure that scientific evidence serves as a tool for empowerment, connecting research outcomes directly with the communities they are intended to support.