2026 Annual Meeting ASU speakers schedule
Arizona State University thought leaders convene at AAAS 2026 to share translational research, community-driven frameworks, and scalable solutions in genomics, energy, water security, aging, inclusion, and science communication.
Join ASU scholars and practitioners Feb 12–14, 2026 at the Phoenix Convention Center as they present plenaries, topical lectures, workshops, and panels that connect discovery to impact.
Additionally, the ASU Avenue booth in the Expo Hall will feature a packed schedule of short, engaging talks spotlighting ASU research, innovation and public engagement. Programming runs each conference day with 15-30 minute sessions on topics ranging from conservation, health, and climate science to AI, ethics, and the future of the scientific enterprise.
Attendees are invited to stop by the booth to hear directly from ASU faculty, researchers and students and join conversations at the latest of science and society.
Full ASU Avenue booth presentation schedule is available here.
Thursday, February 12, 2026
- 5:00–6:30 p.m. — Plenary: AAAS Presidential Address: Science @ Scale with ASU president, Michael M. Crow
- 6:30–8:00 p.m. — Special Event: Welcome to Phoenix reception
- 7:30 – 7:45 p.m. — ASU Avenue booth presentation: Saving Sea Turtles with Science and Dance with Lekelia D. Jenkins
Friday, February 13, 2026
- 10:00–11:00 a.m. — Topical lecture: From Discovery to Impact — Sally C. Morton, Executive Vice President and Professor, ASU Knowledge Enterprise
- 10:00–11:00 a.m. — Workshop: Filling the Gap: How STEM Professionals Can Support Local Communities — Taylor Spicer, Darshan Karwat, Katie Sexton, Raj Pandya
- 11:30 am – 12:30 p.m. — Panelist: Circular phosphorous economy to improve sustainability of plant-based protein — Treavor Boyer
- 11:30 am–12:30 p.m. — Panel: Bridging Ideological Divides in Science — Organizer Sara Brownell (Moderator: Jason Wiles)
- 2:30–3:30 p.m. — Speaker: Bridges From Community Colleges to Four-Year Interdisciplinary Science Degrees — Susannah Sandrin
- 2:30–3:30 p.m. — Workshop: Fostering Religiously-Inclusive Engagement with Science — Sara Brownell, Lilah Sloane-Barrett, Katy Hinman
- 2:30–3:30 p.m. — Panel: America’s Pyrocene: Landscape Fire in the American West — Steve Pyne
- 4:00–5:00 p.m. — Cassandra L. Jones Lecture: The Future of Science is Indigenous — Krystal Tsosie
- 4:00–5:00 p.m. — Workshop: Scaling the Energy Workforce — Mindy Kimball, Alexander Mobley, Marlon Acevedo Rios
Saturday, February 14, 2026
- 10:00–11:00 a.m. — Panel: Beyond the Tap: Water Insecurity in the United States — Patrick Thomson, Amber Pearson, Alexandra Brewis Slade
- 10:00–11:00 a.m. — Panel: Tech Solutions for Older Adults Living Alone with Cognitive Decline — Ross Andel, Fang Yu, David Coon
- 10:00–11:00 a.m. — Panel: Tech Enhanced Program to Boost Physical Activity in Older Adults Living Alone — Molly Maxfield
- 10:00–11:00 a.m. — Workshop: Who Gets to Belong? Disability, Power, and Participation in Higher Education — Rachel Figard, Jennifer Bekki
- 10:00–11:00 a.m. — Panel: EPIC-LA+, A Virtual Intervention for People Living Alone with Dementia — Abigail Gomez Morales
- 11:30 am–12:30 p.m. — Panel: Connecting Ancient Events to Modern Solutions — Organizer/Moderator Jane Buikstra. Panelist: Anne Stone, Re-emerging pathogens: Ancient spillovers teach us about modern plagues
ASU panel speakers
Michael M. Crow
President, Arizona State University
Michael M. Crow is an educator, knowledge enterprise architect, science and technology policy scholar and higher education leader. He became the sixteenth president of Arizona State University in 2002 and has led ASU’s rapid and groundbreaking transformation into one of the world’s best public metropolitan research universities. As a model “New American University,” ASU simultaneously demonstrates comprehensive excellence, inclusivity representative of the ethnic and socioeconomic spectrum of the United States, and consequential societal impact.
Sally C. Morton
Executive Vice President and Professor, ASU Knowledge Enterprise
Sally C. Morton drives ASU’s research translation strategy, aligning discovery with economic and public benefit. Her work highlights university–city–industry partnerships such as the Phoenix Bioscience Core and ASU’s contributions to semiconductor ecosystem growth under CHIPS Plus. Expert: research translation, public–private partnerships, science policy.
Darshan Karwat
Associate Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society, ASU
Researcher and educator focused on practical pathways for STEM professionals to partner with communities and local governments. Expert: community engagement, engineering education, translational practice.
Raj Pandya
Executive Director and Professor of Practice, Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, ASU
Leader in STEM teaching innovation and practitioner training, specializing in connecting educators with community-driven initiatives to strengthen local workforce capacity. Expert: STEM workforce development, teacher innovation.
Sara Brownell
President’s Professor, School of Life Sciences, ASU
Scholar of science communication and inclusion, focusing on how to reduce conflict in culturally charged science topics and train scientists for effective public engagement. Organizer for sessions on ideological divides and inclusive science–faith dialogue. Expert: science communication, inclusion, conflict reduction.
Krystal Tsosie
Assistant Professor, School of Life Sciences, ASU
Leader in Indigenous approaches to genomics, AI, and precision health. Krystal centers Indigenous sovereignty and relational frameworks to create accountable, equitable scientific futures. Expert: Indigenous genomics, ethics, data sovereignty.
Mindy Kimball
Assistant Director for Research, Laboratory for Energy And Power Solutions; Senior Scientist, Global Futures Scientists and Scholars, ASU
Energy systems researcher focused on workforce development and microgrid deployment. Leads interactive training to align stakeholders with emerging distributed-energy technologies. Expert: microgrids, energy workforce, systems design.
Alexander Mobley
Engineer, The Polytechnic School, ASU
Engineer specializing in applied energy systems, workforce skill mapping, and design exercises for microgrid planning. Expert: power systems, engineering education.
Marlon Acevedo Rios
Senior Engineer, The Polytechnic School, ASU
Engineer engaged in practical microgrid and energy systems development with emphasis on stakeholder needs and workforce readiness. Expert: microgrid engineering, applied systems.
Patrick Thomson
Research Scientist, ASU
Researcher studying household water insecurity and sanitation policy; leads empirical work measuring water access and implications for public health. Expert: water insecurity, public health metrics.
Alexandra Brewis Slade
Regents’ and President’s Professor, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, ASU
Scholar of environmental health and human wellbeing; studies sociocultural drivers of sanitation, plumbing poverty, and adaptive responses. Expert: planetary health, social determinants.
Ross Andel
Professor and PhD Program Director, Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, ASU
Expert on cognitive aging, community-based interventions, and translating research into practical supports for older adults living alone. Expert: aging, dementia care interventions.
Fang Yu
Professor, Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, ASU
Researcher focused on technology-enabled interventions for older adults, with emphasis on behavioral approaches and caregiver support. Expert: geriatric intervention trials, digital health.
David Coon
Associate Dean and Professor — R.I.S.E., Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, ASU
Leader in behavioral intervention design and implementation for older adult populations; directs trials supporting social connectedness and activity promotion. Expert: behavioral interventions, clinical trials.
Jennifer Bekki
Professor and Associate Dean of Inclusive Excellence, Fulton Schools of Engineering, ASU
Leader in inclusive engineering education and institutional accessibility; develops policy and practice to improve participation for disabled students and staff. Expert: inclusive pedagogy, disability policy.
Jane Buikstra
Regents’ Professor, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, ASU
Paleopathologist and interdisciplinary leader who uses ancient health records to inform One Health solutions for modern challenges such as disease, food systems, and climate. Expert: paleopathology, One Health.