Decision Support

At its core, decision support science is about how scientists are reducing the knowledge barriers that prevent good decisions from being made. Decision support scientists pair tools (like data products, indicators, model outputs and scenarios) with processes of engagement between experts and decision-makers to translate and contextualize information to support sustainability choices. Our goal as decision support scientists is to engage in two-way conversation so it's not just science getting incorporated into decisions but that the science is shaped by the insights garnered from the communities we’re trying to serve. 

Expert: Melissa Kenney, Director of Research at the Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Researchers such as myself help convert research findings into decision support action plans by prioritizing high-impact interventions, managing tradeoff risks and assessing alternative strategy scenarios under uncertainty. My decision support work is often focused on the inter-relationships of systems that make the products and services we consume everyday. Each consumptive decision we make, whether an ice cream cone on a hot day or an AI agent to organize our calendars, sets in motion a chain of materials and energy supply and creates environmental, social and economic impacts. Our team analyzes and builds tools to help assess purchasing and supply chain decisions and connect them to technological and market-based solutions that enhance sustainability.

Expert: Tim Smith, Professor and Co-Director of the Sustainable Systems Management undergraduate program, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences, University of Minnesota Twin Cities

I help people make better sustainability choices by bringing data to life through graphics, sound and art. In our Interactive Visualization Lab, we use the same tech found in Pixar movies and 3D games to turn sterile spreadsheets into lived experiences. Instead of line charts and bar charts, we use virtual reality and 3D-printed data "physicalizations" so you can experience your data, sometimes even touch your data. To see how a lake has changed over decades, we make it possible to paddle a virtual canoe on a data-driven lake. We find these experiences lead to greater data understanding, in part through the human conversations they spark.

Expert: Dan Keefe, Distinguished University Teaching Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota Twin Cities

I was initially drawn to science communication because I liked the idea that I could team up with people in diverse fields and work to solve problems with real-world impact. I love the idea that my research can help people! Collaborating with practitioners to develop tools that answer their questions is very rewarding and seeing data make a difference is amazing! It motivates me to push my research forward and think bigger. 
 

Expert: Kathryn Haglin, Associate Professor of Political Science, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Minnesota Twin Cities