Home > Events > Congress

2024 GEMM Initiative Challenge

Optica Imaging Congress

18 - 21 August, 2025

Hyatt Regency Seattle
Seattle, Washington USA

The Global Environmental Measurement and Monitoring (GEMM) Initiative Challenge

In partnership with the GEMM Initiative, the Optica Imaging Congress and Optica Sensing Congress will present panel discussions on two challenges related to global environmental measurement and monitoring. The organizers will select these two challenges based on interest from the community, as resulting from the paper submission process.

GEMM Panel I: Water Quality and Pollution Monitoring for a Sustainable Future

Presider: Anne-Pia Marty, University of Cambridge, UK

Monday, 15 July, Room Caravelle 2
16:30 – 16:35	Opening Remarks by GEMM Chairs Michelle Bailey, National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA Tomohiro Oda, Universities Space Research Association, USA
16:35 – 16:45	Lightning Talks Sourav Dutta, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India Anton Saetchnikov, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany Maria Lopera Acosta, Universidad EAFIT, Colombia Jingyan Chen, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Gianluca Valentini, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
16:45 – 17:05	Expert Panel Insights Christoph Wagner, Badger Meter Austria GmbH, Austria Heidi Ottevaere, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
17:05 – 17:45	Open Discussion Live Q&A
18:00 – 19:30	GEMM Reception Join GEMM Initiative participants for a post-panel reception

GEMM Panel II: Sensing Air Quality, Greenhouse Gases, and Wildfires for a Sustainable Future

Presiders: Roderik Krebbers, Radbound University, Netherlands and Michelle Bailey, National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA

Tuesday, 16 July, Room Caravelle 2
15:30 – 15:35	Opening Remarks by GEMM Chairs Michelle Bailey, National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA Tomohiro Oda, Universities Space Research Association, USA
15:35 – 15:45	Lightning Talks Weidong Chen, Universite du Littoral, France Sarra Chabbar, 3IT Université de Sherbrooke, Canada Gianluca Valentini, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
15:45 – 16:05	Expert Panel Insights Mark Phillips, University of Arizona Wyant College of Optical Sciences, USA Simona Cristescu, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, Netherlands Tomohiro Oda, Universities Space Research Association, USA
16:05 – 16:45	Open Discussion Live Q&A
16:45 – 17:00	Summary and Closing Remarks

About the GEMM Initiative

Founded through partnership of two international scientific societies, Optica and the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the GEMM Initiative aims to leverage existing and emerging measurement technology to address pervasive environmental and climate challenges impacting diverse communities across the globe.

Through the work of regional GEMM Centers, the Initiative pursues solutions for air and water quality, climate (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions and urban heat islands), environmental contaminants (e.g., microplastics, pathogens, and toxins) and resource management (e.g., water scarcity).

GEMM brings together community leaders, researchers, technology developers and policy shapers to cultivate actionable solutions to community priorities.

Learn more about GEMM. >