The second annual team meeting of the NASA Space Weather Operational Readiness Development (SWORD) Center of Excellence will enable team members, external collaborators, and funding agency representatives to
gather for two-days of discussion on the physics of magnetosphere-ionosphere/thermosphere/mesosphere (M-ITM) system coupling, modeling efforts to create a unified M-ITM model for research and forecasting, and
data assimilation strategies and methods to improve predictions of the
complex nonlinear M-ITM regime. Novel applications of AI/ML to geospace modeling, data assimilation, and forecasting will be woven throughout the discussions.

The NASA SWORD 2025 Team Meeting will be held Feb. 25-27 at the
University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.

We encourage all SWORD team members to attend in person to both
strengthen our team cohesion and vision and to enjoy the dark Fairbanks
skies during the peak of the solar cycle and auroral activity!

Please contact Tom Berger, thomas.berger@colorado.edu, or Julia Putt, Julia.Putt@colorado.edu, for more information.

Registration

Please register by Friday, January 17, for the NASA SWORD Center of Excellence – Team Meeting 2025.

Agenda

TBD

Lodging in Fairbanks

Official lodging for the meeting will be at Wedgewood Resort with a room rate of $179/night. Transportation will only be provided between the official group lodging site and the meeting venue.

• The rate is available from Feb. 22 to March 1, 2025.
• Please view the block pricing letter for more information about the resort and instructions to reserve your room.
• Make your reservation by Monday, Feb. 3.

The Wedgewood Resort is situated on a105-acre resort between a 75-acre wildlife reserve and a 2,000-acre waterfowl refuge with miles of nature trails. There are many coffee shops and restaurants along the ~3.2 mile stretch of College Road that connects Wedgewood Resort and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (directions here).

Parking at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Parking passes for UAF campus lots are obtained at kiosks or via the Passport parking app. Parking is $1.25 per hour and $5 per day. More information about visitor parking can be found here.

View the UAF campus map here. This workshop will be held in the Elvey Building Globe Room; recommended parking lot is 9B.

Food Options

Snacks, beverages and UAF catered lunches will be covered for the meeting.

For other meals there are many nearby off-campus dining options, including many on College Road between the AMPS 2025 lodging at Wedgewood Resort and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Breakfast

Little Owl Café, Lulu's Bread and Bagels, House of the Rising Bun, Wood Center (UAF) dining options

Dinner

Pad Thai Restaurant, Lemongrass, East Ramp Pizza, Pump House, Lavelle's Bistro

Transportation Options

Airport: Fairbanks International Airport

Taxi/Rideshare options: Ground transportation options (taxis, car rentals, public transportation, shuttles, etc.) are available here. Services like Uber and Lyft are unreliable in Fairbanks.

Other Trip Planning Resources

• Explore Fairbanks:
  Visitor information for planning your trip (FAQs, weather, hours of daylight, attractions, aurora viewing, etc.)

• 2024-2025 Winter Guide:
  This 32-page, full-color booklet from Explore Fairbanks is an essential resource for visitors seeking to fully embrace the winter season in the Fairbanks area.
  
  Designed as a seasonal companion to the year-round Official Fairbanks Visitors Guide, the Winter Guide highlights the unique winter experiences that make Fairbanks an outstanding destination. It showcases key attractions such as the awe-inspiring aurora borealis, thrilling dog mushing adventures, and intricate ice sculptures. The guide offers expert tips for experiencing the northern lights and provides comprehensive information on a wide range of winter activities and events, including skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, fat tire biking, hiking, curling and ice hockey.
  
  In addition to outdoor adventures, the guide addresses the diverse interests of visitors by featuring numerous indoor attractions including museums, art galleries, shops specializing in Alaskan-made products, and inviting cafes, breweries and distilleries. The guide also highlights nearby destinations easily accessible from Fairbanks in the winter, such as North Pole, Denali National Park and Preserve and the Arctic Circle.
   
• Google Map of downtown Fairbanks