Capturing Science AT UGA

BLOG  //  JANUARY 20, 2020

Written by Contest Judge Ariel Ackerly --

"In “Spheres of Heaven and Hell”, Alison Banks uses hand embroidery and paint to illustrate three projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Inspired by Dante’s formulation of hell, in which the afterlife’s realms are organized as a series of concentric circles, Banks’ shows us three potential climate scenarios sewn into three stacked embroidery hoops: the outer hoop depicts human civilization’s best-case scenario, where greenhouse gas emissions decline beginning in 2020; the middle hoop shows what life might look like if emissions begin declining in 2050; and the inner hoop, the most hellish, shows a world set ablaze by humans’ current and unchecked emissions.

While Dante’s original inferno consists of 9 circles, Banks’ shows 3, emphasizing the proximity of climate change’s disastrous consequences. Indeed, the inner circle might be the smallest, but it stands out like an irrefutable, fearsome, and maybe galvanizing, bulls-eye, dead center.

In the face of all this future-thinking, the judges appreciate the artwork's blatant objecthood: it's big, obviously, but the embroidered sea creatures, multi-colored woven roses, and unexpected shimmer of golden strings show an artist who is thoughtful about the detail this traditional handcraft allows."

SU Geosciences Student Chases Tornadoes

News  //  September 12, 2017

SALISBURY, MD--- Over the summer, when many of Alison Banks' classmates caught some beachside rays, the Salisbury University student preferred a landlocked state and cloudy days. 

It’s not because she’s the gloomy, mopey sort. On the contrary, the geography major is quite chipper, especially when pursuing her interest in atmospheric sciences and meteorology. Throw in tornadic activity and windshields being smashed by golf-ball-sized hail, and she brims with excitement.

Pokémon Go, Ingress, and the New Evolution of Geographic Gaming ​

BLOG  //  August 10, 2016

Author: Alison Banks
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As it often happens on a summer afternoon, you may find yourself going for a stroll in the park just to enjoy the scenery and sunshine. As you approach the fountain, you see a group of people standing around and looking down at their phones. Though they are in a tight group, none of them are communicating with each other.

Chances are you’ve just found your local Pokémon Go players. 

Mission

My research is motivated by a   deeper understanding, respect, and appreciation of the planet as well as the forces that govern it.
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I'm interested in machine learning in atmospheric science, cloud resolving models and convection, air quality, precipitation changes, sea level rise, severe weather, and global climate models that illuminate the nature of these things in beautiful detail. ​