The Ongoing Transformation

Richelle Ellis, a multidisciplinary artist and analog astronaut, takes art beyond the studio and into deep-ocean expeditions, simulated space habitats, and extreme environments. She explores DNA data storage, plankton and nebulae, the overview effect, and how artists might help shape responsible multiplanetary futures. A fascinating journey through awe, isolation, exploration, and stewardship.

Caden Bogus, a University of Wyoming researcher focused on energy and resource policy, and Jacob Hochard, a conservation economics professor, examine Wyoming’s data center boom. They explore the state’s energy, climate, land, and tax advantages, plus the push toward nuclear power and grid upgrades. The conversation spotlights community benefit agreements, transparency, workforce opportunities, environmental impacts, and how local negotiations could shape industrial policy nationwide.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping work, leaving many people wondering how to gain the skills they need to keep up with a rapidly changing world. Now, a group of American community colleges is working to democratize AI education and prepare students for the future.On this episode, host Sara Frueh is joined by Antonio Delgado, vice president of innovation and technology partnerships at Miami-Dade College and founder and leader of the National Applied AI Consortium. Delgado discusses “applied AI,” a pioneering program at Miami-Dade that provides students pathways to these jobs, and the broader effort by community colleges to help meet the need for AI-fluent workers in the labor force. ResourcesCheck out Antonio Delgado’s Issues article, “Community Colleges are Training the Applied AI Workforce” (Summer 2026) to learn more about how he developed Miami Dade College’s applied AI degree program and founded the National Applied AI Consortium.Visit the National Applied AI Consortium’s website to learn more about their work. 

Since World War II, federal funding has been the central driver of American scientific research. Recently, a state-based model for research shows how local research could be used to solve local problems.   On this episode, host Lisa Margonelli is joined by Jeffrey Warren, executive director of the North Carolina Collaboratory. About ten years ago, the North Carolina legislature created a way to get answers to policymakers’ questions and to fund research to solve local problems. The Collaboratory contracts with researchers at the state’s universities to do the work. So far, the legislature has allocated more than $300 million to fund 800 research projects on subjects ranging from water pollution to opioid addiction treatment to foster care. The Collaboratory’s model offers a new vision for how science can respond to society’s needs. Resources:Visit the North Carolina Collaboratory’s website to learn more about their work. Check out Jeffrey Warren’s Issues pieces for more on the Collaboratory's unique model of bipartisan problem solving. “Science for Hyper-Partisan Times” (2021). “Research That Solves North Carolina’s Problems” (2026), co-authored with Blair Ellis Rhoades. 

The Ongoing Transformation will be back soon! In the meantime, we’re bringing you an episode of a podcast we all enjoy: Lab Coat Optional, which is produced by Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise.  The podcast looks at research, the people behind it and why it matters.In this episode, Nadya Bliss — executive director of ASU’s Advanced Capabilities for National Security Institute — explains how national security is more than tanks and battleships. She breaks down the vital role university research plays behind the scenes to anticipate emerging needs, strengthen infrastructure, accelerate innovation and quietly prevent conflict.

The Ongoing Transformation will be back soon! In the meantime, we’re bringing you an episode of a podcast we all enjoy: 10X Conversations. The podcast examines pressing issues affecting communities along the U.S. Interstate 10 corridor from Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles, California and how these challenges provide a lens into what the future may bring for the rest of the country.In this episode, climatologist Jennifer Vanos and human thermoregulation expert Konrad Rykaczewski talk about groundbreaking heat research at ASU, and how its results may help other heat-vulnerable cities in the I-10 corridor and beyond.

Kaitlin Thaney, executive director of Invest in Open Infrastructure, helps fund and coordinate open research systems. Jen Gibson, executive director of Dryad, runs an international open-data repository. They discuss the origins and forms of open research infrastructure. They explore fragile funding models, consequences when repositories fail, and ideas for shared investment and U.S. policy support to keep open research accessible.

On Science Policy IRL, we talk to people in science policy about what they do and how they got there. In this installment, host Josh Trapani talks to Mary Woolley about leading Research!America for 35 years. During her tenure, Research!America grew into a major research advocacy organization and helped advocate for many changes, including doubling the budget of the National Institutes of Health.In this episode, Woolley reflects on the transitions she has seen in science and the role of scientists over her career, and shares how researchers can engage with policymakers and the community. Resources:How do Americans feel about science? Check out the results from Research!America’s 2026 January National Survey. Read Mary Woolley’s letter in Issues about the importance of public engagement and understanding public sentiment. Learn more about the McClintock Letters Initiative, a national op-ed letter writing campaign to share why science needs investment. 

Rebecca Coyne, a public policy scholar and recent MPP from the University of Michigan, explores the history and regulation of spam. She recounts early internet flashpoints, citizen pushback and technical fixes. She analyzes state and federal law battles and draws parallels between spam policy and current debates over AI regulation.

On Science Policy IRL, we talk to people in science policy about what they do and how they got there. In this installment, we’re exploring how science policy works from both inside and outside the government. Host Monya Baker is joined by Kumar Garg, president of Renaissance Philanthropy, an organization that helps philanthropists support science, technology and innovation. Prior to joining Renaissance Philanthropy, Garg trained as a lawyer and served in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He shares how he has spent his career finding, funding, and implementing ideas both within the government and outside it via philanthropy, which is uniquely positioned to pilot “big, if true” ideas. ResourcesLearn more about Renaissance Philanthropy by visiting their website and listening to Garg’s interview on how philanthropy can fuel scientific innovation. Visit the NIH Brain Initiative website for more information on the initiative. See Team Kalil’s white board with more advice on how to get things done.