Adelaide Byers

Adelaide Byers is a specialist in scientific communication and outreach for the Xylem Lab at the 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' primary focus is on making complex geospatial research accessible and actionable for a wide range of audiences, including policymakers, stakeholders, students, and the public. Her work is central to the lab's mission of bridging the gap between technical science and public engagement — developing engaging educational remote sensing content, managing social media, planning outreach events, and translating technical research outcomes into actionable intelligence. She also provides critical support for grant preparation and editing, reviewing scientific documents to ensure clarity, consistency, and accessibility across diverse audiences. Her involvement has included contributing to key departmental initiatives, such as participating in the GIS Day student panel.

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.

Her experience with the Xylem Lab team 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 deeply 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.