Amy Quarkume, Joseph Wilkins, and Lauren Taylor were one of three $100,000 NASA MSI Wildfire Climate Tech Challenge winners.

NASA’s Wildfire Climate Tech Challenge, part of the MSI Incubator initiative, seeks innovative solutions for wildfire prevention and climate technology. NASA invites students and employees of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to address the escalating issues caused by wildfires exacerbated by climate change. This initiative offers a platform for participants to present their ideas to venture capitalists and NASA experts, furthering the development of technology in the fields of wildfire prevention and climate change, while promoting inclusivity and diversity.

Their solution “Fire Smart Guardian” addresses critical gaps in wildfire risk communication and air quality monitoring by integrating NASA data, empowering communities with accurate information to make informed decisions with Generative AI in Natural Language Processing technology, mitigating risk, and protecting improved health outcomes.