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Distinguished Professor Mark Serreze Quoted in Press Release Regarding a Bipartisan Letter Sent to the Department of Denfense and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:44:14 +0000

Distinguished Professor Mark Serreze Quoted in Press Release Regarding a Bipartisan Letter Sent to the Department of Denfense and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Gabriela Rocha Sales Thu, 10/15/2026 - 09:44

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Oct 14, 2026

Hickenlooper, Murkowski, King Make Bipartisan Push to Protect Integrity of Satellite Weather Data

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Lisa Murkowski, and Angus King sent a bipartisan letter urging the Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to prioritize the integrity of satellite weather data as the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) approaches end of service.

“For decades, DMSP’s Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) has supported hurricane forecasting, severe-weather monitoring, polar and sea-ice analysis, and military operations in data-sparse and denied environments. That coverage is now shrinking as legacy polar-orbiting microwave sensors age out. ” wrote the senators. “To improve and prevent degradation of numerical weather prediction and tactical forecasting, the DoD and NOAA should evaluate the transition across the broader space architecture, including commercial satellite systems that can complement government capabilities.”

Weather forecasters, researchers, and military planners have used data from DMSP satellites for decades to predict and monitor other extreme weather patterns. Last month, the U.S. Space Force announced they would maintain the DMSP fleet until at least 2028 until it transitions to a new replacement architecture.

The senators concluded: “Weather data continuity is essential to national security, public safety, and economic resilience. Extending DMSP is a promising step, and we urge the DoD and NOAA to proactively identify and fill anticipated gaps before legacy degradation or replacement delays create preventable risks.”

Last year, the DoD reversed its decision to stop sharing DMSP data with NOAA and the scientific community after Hickenlooper and Murkowski urged DoD and NOAA to reconsider and address the implications canceling DMSP would have on weather forecasting and scientific research, especially in polar regions. Congress extended DMSP operations in the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act and a Hickenlooper-led amendment to the bill ensured the continuity of data sharing for the duration of the DMSP mission.

“With increasing national attention on changes in the Arctic, including Greenland, and the associated economic, geopolitical, and strategic implications, it is critical that we maintain our ability to monitor and understand conditions on the ground,” said Mark Serreze, Distinguished Professor of Geography and Director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the ��ñ��. “The DMSP satellites have been a key asset in this regard for decades. Colorado is a national leader in scientific research of the polar regions and we applaud the efforts of Senator Hickenlooper to raise attention to this important matter.”

For full text of the letter, see HERE.

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Ecological Fragmentation as Jointly Political: The Splintering and Rebuilding of Tribal Buffalo Habitat and Tribal Territory

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 19:47:24 +0000

Ecological Fragmentation as Jointly Political: The Splintering and Rebuilding of Tribal Buffalo Habitat and Tribal Territory Gabriela Rocha Sales Mon, 10/12/2026 - 13:47

Dr. Libby Lunstrum
Professor of Environmental Studies
Boise State University

Dylan DesRosier
Blackfeet Program Manager
The Nature Conservancy

Abstract:

Habitat or landscape fragmentation is a major challenge for biodiversity conservation, yet current understandings focus primarily on its ecological dimensions, overlooking the fact that fragmentation is equally political. Drawing on Blackfoot-led efforts to reintroduce buffalo – or iinnii – to Blackfoot lands, we show how fragmentation and subsequent efforts to rebuild connectivity are both ecological and political, and indeed these are intertwined. We show, first, how colonial settlement was a fragmenting project that intentionally splintered vast buffalo habitat and Tribal territory into a complex mosaic of land uses – from ranches and national parks to internally subdivided reservations – to serve colonial interests. Contemporary efforts to welcome iinnii home counter this history by employing innovative strategies, including tapping into land buyback programs and partnering with national parks, to rebuild continuous buffalo habitat. This creates expansive habitat while simultaneously enabling the Blackfeet to rebuild reciprocal relations with iinnii and restore sovereignty and decision-making capacity over a more coherent land base. Writing together as a team of Blackfoot and non-Tribal scholars and experts, we bridge conservation biology and political ecology to build a richer understanding of fragmentation and connectivity as jointly political and ecological. We show how Tribal activism advances scholarly debate by underscoring the profound impacts of fragmentation, how fragmentation was a tool of colonial settlement, the broad importance of connectivity, and that achieving conservation and connectivity goals require attending to both ecological and political factors. This article, moreover, celebrates the work of Tribal Nations as they rewrite histories of land loss and fragmentation.

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Assistant Professor of Geography Jessica Finlay and Ph.D. Student of Geography Mallory Sagehorn in the College of Arts and Sciences Magazine: Researchers are riding shotgun for science

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:37:22 +0000

Assistant Professor of Geography Jessica Finlay and Ph.D. Student of Geography Mallory Sagehorn in the College of Arts and Sciences Magazine: Researchers are riding shotgun for science Gabriela Rocha Sales Fri, 10/09/2026 - 07:37

Article text copied for archival purposes.

10/5/2026 • By Cody DeBos

Researchers are riding shotgun for science

��ñ�� study shows how a car ride gives scientists new windows into neighborhood health

Many community research interviews last 15 to 30 minutes, taking place either in an interview room or on foot with the researcher and participant walking side-by-side.

As a woman named Mary drove two researchers though her Minneapolis suburb, a few interview questions turned into an hour-long guided tour of her life.

They drove past her current home and two houses where she grew up, the local plant shop where she works, George Floyd Square and a shopping district. There, her voice changed as she recalled the civil unrest and pandemic of 2020 and showed them the shuttered storefronts that remain.

That moment is one of dozens captured in a new study co-authored by Mallory Sagehorn, a doctoral student in the ��ñ�� Department of Geography, alongside lead author Grace Savard and ��ñ�� Assistant Professor Jessica Finlay.

Published in SSM – Qualitative Research in Health, their research asks a simple but underexplored question about neighborhood research: How might a driving interview position you to learn about someone's life?

Meeting people how they move

“A lot of what we care about in neighborhood and health research is how people actually interact with the people and places around them—and that’s really hard to get at when someone’s just sitting across from you describing it after the fact,” Sagehorn says.

Conversations conducted while walking with a participant through their neighborhood have given researchers a way to study how people interact with their surroundings. These “go-along” interviews allow for organic interactions that don’t rely on memory alone.

“When you’re moving through the same spaces you’re talking about, participants notice things in real time they might never have thought to mention otherwise,” she adds.

However, in America, walking isn’t how most people move through the world. Whether it’s a car, a bike, a bus or a scooter, reliance on wheeled transportation is the norm for the majority.

Sagehorn and her colleagues wanted to know if conducting go -along interviews—not by walking, but by meeting people how they move—would be more effective.

“It really depends on matching the mode of mobility to how people actually move through a given community,” the researchers say. “If you’re working in a walkable neighborhood, walking interviews make sense. If people primarily get around by car, a ride-along is going to give you more authentic, comfortable data.”

Finlay, who leads a broader research program on how neighborhoods shape health and cognitive aging, says one participant even asked to conduct their interview by skateboard.

“The value of this method is that it flexes to whatever is most comfortable and authentic for our interviewees,” Finlay notes.

A private room on wheels

Of nine participants who chose a car-based interview for the study, their reasons for doing so varied. Many lived in car-dependent suburbs, while others had mobility limitations or didn’t feel safe walking their own streets.

The researchers anticipated driving interviews would differ from walking, but they didn’t expect just how much the car itself would reshape the conversation.

“A car-based interview feels like being invited into a private, personal space that moves—almost like stepping into a room of someone’s house,” Savard says.

That intimacy led to what the researchers would dub the “bubble effect.”

“We had folks drive us down streets they said they’d never walk down, simply because being in a car gave them a sense of security and access they wouldn’t otherwise have,” says Savard.

They found that when placing people inside their own vehicle, the bubble it creates allowed them to engage more deeply both on an environmental level and a personal one. It also matters for accessibility. Interviewing in the car lets researchers work around outside factors like mobility limitations, bad weather and physical barriers.

Still, those benefits come at a cost.

“Part of why we do mobile interviews at all is to observe how people actually interact with their environment, and the bubble changes the nature of that interaction by making it, at times, more indirect,” Sagehorn notes.

Savard says you might not get to experience a participant’s daily routine the same way you might on foot. They may stop for a casual chat with a neighbor when walking but won’t roll down the window when driving with a researcher.

The team acknowledges the limitations of driving interviews, but as science isn’t a zero-sum game, they’re still excited about the methodology.

“There is data you just can’t get from inside a car. But that’s also why we see walking and driving as complements rather than competitors,” Sagehorn says.

Who sits where?

Seating position also mattered a great deal in the team’s study, perhaps to an unexpected degree. Participants were always positioned in the driver’s seat or front passenger seat, while researchers split roles between conversation in the opposite front seat or note-taking in the back.

“It was important that they felt like they were the one guiding us through their community, setting the pace, the speed and the direction we traveled in,” Sagehorn says.

The psychology of seat positions during interviews has been explored in other studies, and it’s been shown that being side-by-side can put participants at ease. In the car, it goes a step further. They can focus on the road and their surroundings rather than forcing eye contact, leaving the mind free to engage.

“That can take a lot of the intimidation out of the conversation and make people more comfortable opening up,” Sagehorn says.

Seating arrangements aside, even the clutter of a car can become a storytelling device to an observant researcher.

Whether it’s a scooter in the back seat or flyers for community events tucked into a visor, these artifacts give researchers a glimpse into a participant’s way of life in a way other interview modalities can’t capture.

“People carry pieces of their lives around in their cars, and that becomes a window into their routines, interests and how they move through the world that a walking interview just wouldn’t show us,” says Sagehorn.

Whose voice gets heard

For Sagehorn, Savard and Finlay, the implications of meeting participants at their preferred method of transportation for go-along interviews are important to remember.

The methodology allows people to take part in neighborhood research who otherwise couldn’t if walking was the only option.

“If there is one thing we hope policymakers take away from this work, it’s the importance of centering participants and their lived experiences and that driving mobile methods are really about expanding who gets to participate in research in the first place,” Sagehorn says. “Methodology is not neutral, and the format you choose can determine whose voice actually gets heard.”

That idea continues to shape the team’s outlook.

“Ultimately, we think the biggest takeaway is that if we want policy that actually reflects people’s realities, we need research methods that get us out into those realities,” they say.

As studies on equality and accessibility pave the way for a better life for everyone, go-along interviews on wheels are one more tool researchers can use to gather the most realistic data.

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Morteza Karimzadeh (Co-Principle Investigator): Receives New Frontiers Grant that Researches Physically-Grounded Geospatial AI for Understanding Complex Global Phenomena with Multi-Modal Data

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:20:55 +0000

Morteza Karimzadeh (Co-Principle Investigator): Receives New Frontiers Grant that Researches Physically-Grounded Geospatial AI for Understanding Complex Global Phenomena with Multi-Modal Data Gabriela Rocha Sales Thu, 10/01/2026 - 14:20

Article copied for archival purposes.

New Frontiers awards $300,000 to advance ambitious interdisciplinary research

Sep. 30, 2026 • By Chris Yankee

Selected projects harness geospatial AI to understand complex global phenomena and tackle barriers to geothermal energy development

Two ��ñ�� research teams will receive a combined $300,000 in New Frontiers Launch Phase funding to advance interdisciplinary projects focused on geospatial artificial intelligence and geothermal energy development.

The awards are part of the New Frontiers Grant Program, a Research & Innovation Office (RIO) initiative designed to cultivate new interdisciplinary research strengths at ��ñ�� by giving teams the resources and time to develop ambitious ideas that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries.

The two projects, led by Esther Rolf and Bri-Mathias Hodge, were among three teams selected for Planning Phase grants in 2025. Over the past year, the teams have developed their research directions, strengthened collaborations and conducted preliminary work to position their ideas for this next stage of development.

“These projects exemplify what we hoped to accomplish through New Frontiers—bringing together researchers with different expertise to pursue ambitious ideas that would be difficult to address within one discipline,” said Massimo Ruzzene, senior vice chancellor for research and innovation and dean of the institutes. “We are excited to see these teams build on progress made during the planning phase and pursue even greater impact through this next stage.”

Building on New Frontiers

New Frontiers was created to help researchers turn promising interdisciplinary ideas into larger research efforts by providing support for team development, preliminary research and pursuit of external funding. The Launch Phase represents the next step for projects that demonstrate strong potential to develop into broader, sustained research programs.

A new RIO initiative building on the momentum of New Frontiers will be announced later this fall.

Selected projects

New Frontiers in Physically-Grounded Geospatial AI for Understanding Complex Global Phenomena with Multi-Modal Data ($200,000)

PI: Esther Rolf, Computer Science
- Co-PIs: Steve Nerem, Aerospace Engineering and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES); Morteza Karimzadeh, Geography and Institute of Behavioral Science (IBS)

The team is developing new approaches that combine artificial intelligence with knowledge of physical processes to better understand complex phenomena across Earth and society. By bringing together multiple types of data and expertise, the researchers aim to make geospatial AI more useful, accurate and trustworthy for scientific discovery.

New Frontiers in Renewable Energy Transition: Technical and Social Barriers to Geothermal Energy Development ($100,000)

PI: Bri-Mathias Hodge, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering and Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI)
- Co-PI: Shae Frydenlund, Center for Asian Studies and Geography

The team is examining the technical and social barriers that have limited the development of geothermal energy. Bringing together engineering, social science and other expertise, the researchers aim to identify approaches that could help expand geothermal energy development and support the transition to renewable energy.

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Learning from Disaster: Tools and Methods arising from recent postfire debris-flow disasters

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 21:07:16 +0000

Learning from Disaster: Tools and Methods arising from recent postfire debris-flow disasters Gabriela Rocha Sales Thu, 09/24/2026 - 15:07

Dr. Francis Rengers
Research Geologist
Landslide Hazards Program
United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Abstract:

Wildfires frequently occur across the western United States, and while the fires themselves pose immediate dangers, they often trigger a cascade of subsequent hazards—including postfire debris flows, landslides, rockfall, and flooding—that threaten both lives and vital infrastructure. In this presentation, recent events such as the Grizzly Creek Fire in Glenwood Canyon, CO, and the Cameron Peak Fire in northern CO will serve as key case studies to illustrate how statistical models are used to assess the probability and volume of debris flows. A particular focus will be placed on the complex role wood dams play: these structures can effectively mitigate debris flow volumes when they contain material; however, they can significantly worsen conditions if they fail and release the accumulated debris. Finally, the presentation will highlight the development and application of a new nationwide early warning system, which leverages rain gauge networks to enhance real-time situational awareness regarding the onset and location of debris flows. This integrated approach offers valuable insights for managing the risks associated with postfire hazards and underscores the importance of new tools and methods in for emergency planning.

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Michela Savigano (Geography PhD Student): Greenland ice shelf weakened by estuary ahead of recent calving event

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 19:22:57 +0000

Michela Savigano (Geography PhD Student): Greenland ice shelf weakened by estuary ahead of recent calving event Gabriela Rocha Sales Mon, 09/21/2026 - 13:22

Article text copied for archival purposes.

Greenland ice shelf weakened by estuary ahead of recent calving event

by Stephanie Maltarich

Published Monday, September 21st, 2026

CIRES scientists use satellites to uncover how and when the first known ice shelf estuary formed on the Greenland Ice Sheet

In August 2026, an iceberg the size of Manhattan broke away from the Petermann Ice Shelf in northern Greenland. It was the glacier's largest calving event since 2020.

Long before the breakup, CIRES scientists were developing a new method to understand the planet's first known ice shelf estuary on the Petermann Ice Shelf. The estuary — where salt water from the ocean and fresh water from a surface meltwater river mix — was discovered in 2021. New CIRES-led research, published today in The Cryosphere, explains how and when the estuary formed — something no one has studied until now.

“For the first time, we were able to measure how quickly the river cut into the ice shelf to form the estuary, which revealed more complex estuary behavior than was previously suggested,” said Michela Savignano, ��ñ�� Geography and CIRES PhD student and lead author of the study. “We did this using a new method for calculating the elevation of the river channel above sea level during the melt season from satellite imagery”

The novel research may help explain the August calving event.

“We think the process of estuary forming and reforming over multiple melt seasons weakened the ice shelf due to the loading and unloading of ocean water, and potentially contributed to the calving event that happened in August of this year,” said Alison Banwell, research scientist in CIRES’ Earth Science and Observation Center and co-author of the study.

The NASA-funded research builds on the 2021 study led by one of the study’s co-authors, Alexandra Boghosian, which confirmed the first ice shelf estuary using high-resolution satellite images. The photos revealed chunks of sea ice floating up the river channel onto the Petermann Ice Shelf. Understanding the estuary requires understanding supraglacial rivers — rivers that flow on the surface of ice shelves and empty into the ocean.

During summer months, when air temperatures are above freezing, glaciers and surface snow melt and water pools on the surface, creating instability and making them more susceptible to collapse, like the famous Larsen B ice shelf breakup in 2002. Yet rivers that flow from these pools can reduce pressure and weight by carrying water from the ice shelf into the ocean.

“We’ve known for a couple of decades that lakes can be harmful to the overall health of an ice shelf, whereas rivers can actually be beneficial,” Banwell said. “Our new research suggests that estuaries can also be harmful.”

The supraglacial river on Petermann began like any other, but over time it cut deep into the ice, eventually dropping below sea level at its mouth. The authors measured the river’s incision rate from the surface of the river all the way down to the bottom of the channel. It formed because the river incised below sea level, enabling warmer, salty ocean water and river water to mix and flow backwards into the river.

“We’re using satellite data not to just look at where the water is and how deep it is, but also to look at elevation change over time, and how quickly the river is cutting into the ice surface,” Savignano said.

The researchers looked at satellite images of the estuary from 2013 to 2018 and concluded it formed, disappeared, and reformed repeatedly during subsequent summers. It first formed in 2014, but then it disappeared when all of the surface water on the ice shelf drained or froze. It formed again late in the 2016 melt season; this cyclical pattern continued through 2018, when a crack in the ice perpendicular to the ice flow cut off the river upstream of the estuary.

Instability caused by estuaries could lead to more calving events, an increasing challenge in the polar regions as the planet warms. Specifically in Antarctica, where about 75 percent of the continent is surrounded by ice shelves.

“We think estuaries may become more common on other ice shelves as they melt and thin, which they’re going to do at increasing rates in the future,” Banwell said. “It will be easier for a surface river to incise down to sea level.”

The research will help scientists monitor and predict when and where estuaries may show up in the future.

“Only five ice shelves remain in Greenland, including Petermann, and estuaries could make them more prone to break-up,” Savignano said. “In Antarctica, estuaries could begin forming within 30 years, weakening ice shelves that currently play a substantial role in mitigating future sea level rise. Our research will help us to understand when and where that is most likely to happen.”

The research was supported by NASA and the prestigious National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship.

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Jessica Finlay Quoted in USA Today: The surprising new way to find friends and true love? Your Costco card

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 14:55:01 +0000

Jessica Finlay Quoted in USA Today: The surprising new way to find friends and true love? Your Costco card Gabriela Rocha Sales Mon, 09/21/2026 - 08:55

Article text copied for archival purposes.

The surprising new way to find friends and true love? Your Costco card

by Jessica Guynn

Updated September 16th, 2026

With their busy schedules, Los Angeles besties and social media influencers Analyse Talavera and Carmen Rene Smith don’t always spend as much time together as they’d like. Their solution? Tag-teaming their Costco errands.

The outings double as catch-up sessions while they load their carts with everything from tins of spicy albacore and protein bowls to Neutrogena makeup wipes and paper towels.

"Especially in this economy, instead of going out and dropping $200 on dinner – which Analyse and I are good for – we go to Costco and stock up on meal prep for the week and then top it off with a $3 fro yo," Smith said. "You really can't beat that."

Arizona couple Lisa Bayless and Jeff Stitt share the aisles of Costco, too. For their 18 years of marriage, they rarely shop alone.

Stitt pushes and unloads the heavy cart while Bayless guides the way with their list, checking off household staples like bottled water, sugar and toilet paper.

"It's sort of like date night, but it’s an afternoon date with a purpose," Bayless said.

On the surface, Costco is a popular spot for Americans to stretch their grocery dollar, but it also feeds a deeply human need. As physical community spaces disappear and social bonds fray, the warehouse giant has emerged as an unexpected anchor for connection.

Take San Jose, California, mother of four Alyssa Munoz swaps the local park for a different kind of playground on Sunday mornings. She meets up with other parents at Costco to push side-by-side carts − one for the kids, one for the groceries − before wrapping up the playdate at the food court.

"They get samples, lunch and ice cream and we get our groceries done," Munoz said.

Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, says socializing is a "very overlooked, but also very important" reason why people shop at Costco.

"While Costco’s primary purpose is as a place to stock up on products, it has also become something of a social destination," Saunders said.

Searching for connection at Costco

Sociologists call it a "third place" – Ray Oldenburg's term for the parks, barbershops and libraries where people build community outside home and work. Increasingly, that gathering spot is Costco.

But these communal destinations are slowly vanishing from American life. Sprawling suburbs leave little room for walkable hubs while endless screen time – from TikTok scrolling to Netflix binges – has replaced real-world connection. As attendance at churches and civic clubs declines, Americans are left feeling isolated.

The fallout is a national loneliness crisis. Federal data shows face-to-face socializing has plummeted since tracking began in 2003, with Americans spending just 35 minutes a day connecting in person, down 15% from a decade ago.

So Americans are searching for new places to reclaim that sense of belonging.

For decades, the cultural ideal was "Cheers" – the neighborhood bar where "everybody knows your name." Today, that coveted "third place" is just as likely to be a climbing gym or yoga studio, an independent bookstore, a pickleball court, or, yes, Costco warehouses.

"They're typically physically accessible, relatively low-cost, low-pressure hub/hangouts, socially welcoming to a diversity of folks, and multigenerational – all key 'third place' attributes,' said Jessica Finlay, an assistant professor of geography at the ��ñ��.

Take Wil Cid, a card-carrying member since 1988 – back when Costco was Price Club. For Cid, Costco isn't just a wholesale warehouse; it's his happy place.

Visiting three to four times a week, he is such a fixture at local stores that Costco employees know him by name. Once, upon returning from a vacation, staffers stopped him every few feet, asking where he had been. Friends routinely text his wife, Vivian, to report sightings.

"I tell them I’m not surprised," Vivian said. "He’s there all the time."

That devotion led Vivian to organize a surprise party at the food court for Wil’s 68th birthday, leaning into an obsession that she doesn’t really share or entirely understand.

"I like Costco in an average, normal, healthy way," she said.

From malls to McDonald's, America's meetups

Of course, Costco is not the first commercial space to function as a town square. According to Richard Kyte, a professor of ethics at Viterbo University and author of "Finding Your Third Place," corporate America has a long history of engineering social hubs.

In the 1950s and 1960s, suburban malls were explicitly designed as community cornerstones, complete with bustling food courts, movie theaters, arcades, and a smorgasbord of shops.

Fast-food staples like McDonald’s became a low-cost refuge where seniors lingered over morning coffee, students gathered after school and young kids frolicked in play areas.

Eventually, Starbucks revolutionized the concept, pairing comfy seating with free Wi-Fi to market itself as the definitive destination between home and work.

After an aggressive, pandemic-era pivot to drive-thrus, mobile pickups, and delivery app orders, the coffee giant is trying to recapture its roots under its "Back to Starbucks" strategy, actively renovating cafes with inviting couches and extra power outlets and even returning to ceramic mugs, softer lighting, and wood paneling to convince Americans to sit down and stay a while.

How Costco became a 'third place'

With its fluorescent lighting, concrete floors, and industrial shelving, Costco might seem like an unlikely setting for leisurely socializing. But the retail powerhouse is uniquely positioned to serve as a third place, according to Kyte.

For one thing, it is woven into the very fabric of American life. As a ubiquitous fixture across the country, the chain provides a familiar, predictable environment that makes millions of members feel instantly at home.

According to consumer analytics firm Numerator, roughly 72.3 million households shopped at Costco over the past year. Even more striking, over a quarter of all U.S. households are dedicated regulars, visiting at least 12 times a year.

On average, a Costco shopper makes 31 trips annually, spending $99 per visit for a total annual outlay of $3,043 – figures that comfortably eclipse competitors like Sam’s Club and BJ’s, Numerator said.

Once inside the warehouse, shoppers tend to linger, enticed by a potent cocktail of comforting routine, retail adrenaline and cheap eats.

Numerator estimates that members made 144 million trips for food-court fare last year, effectively putting Costco on the same scale as major regional fast-food chains like In-N-Out and Zaxbys.

And, according to foot traffic analytics firm Placer.ai, the average Costco visit lasts 15 minutes longer than a trip to a traditional grocery store and outpaces other big-box superstores by roughly seven minutes.

"For many shoppers, a trip to Costco is an experience to savor and enjoy," Elizabeth Lafontaine, director of research at Placer.ai, said.

Building community one hot dog at a time

Once or twice a quarter, University of California, Davis students Sharon Hwang, Katrina Le and Steven Zhang pile dozens of classmates into a caravan of cars and head to the nearest Costco about 15 minutes away.

Their college club, which unites students over a shared childhood love for all things Costco, has become an unexpected antidote to campus isolation. By organizing these massive shopping adventures and food court lunches, the group has fostered tight-knit friendships on a campus of tens of thousands.

"If something small like a Costco trip can help someone meet new friends or feel a little bit connected, then I feel like we accomplished something," Hwang said.

What began as a casual weekly lunch for Jaxon Smith and his friends quickly evolved into a lifeline for local men.

Gathering at the food court once or twice a week, Smith’s group frequently crossed paths with other acquaintances. But it was the sight of so many men eating alone that sparked an idea: What if a trip to Costco could be an intentional way to combat male isolation?

Last November, Smith posted a video on Instagram, officially launching the Men’s Mental Health Costco Club. The weekly meetup became an instant success, drawing crowds so large it has since expanded well beyond the warehouse walls.

"Mental health is often portrayed in a negative light,” said Smith, who grew up going to Costco with his father and siblings. Through the club, he aims to flip that script and "just help men feel less lonely."

How 'Camp Costco' brings people together

The ultimate testament to Costco's power to bring people together began more than a quarter-century ago in Brentwood, Tennessee. Two friends – a World War II B-24 pilot and an Army veteran from the Cold War era – started meeting every Friday in the food court over hot dogs. Before long, veterans from the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf Wars joined their ranks at "Camp Costco."

Officially known as the Middle Tennessee Veterans Support Group, the weekly assembly provides local service members with the vital camaraderie they first forged in uniform.

Paul Napoli, who served in the Marines before the Vietnam War, says he started going in 2010 when the group had just 10 regulars. Today, the roster has expanded to a couple hundred members, with 40 to 60 veterans gathering each week.

"Nobody cares what rank you were or what service you were in. Everybody mixes together," he said. "It’s just a wonderful group of people."

That makes Costco something exceedingly unusual: a gathering place where Americans of all backgrounds feel at home in a deeply polarized country.

Costco has a vested interest in preserving that sense of belonging. With membership fees driving nearly two-thirds of Costco’s profits in 2025, belonging fuels its business model. Tellingly, its in-house magazine is called "Costco Connection."

'Clubbing for married folks'

Going to Costco has become one of America's collective rituals, according to sociologist Randall Collins. For many, this shared time roaming the aisles is deeply personal. Collins’s wife regularly catches up with friends over food-court hot dogs, and he knows couples who first met in the wine aisle.

In fact, Costco has emerged as an unlikely romantic spot. Couples call it "clubbing for married folks." They graze on free samples, browse jewelry or big-screen TVs and top it off with chicken bakes or pizza slices. The "Kirkland Signature date night" is so popular that some couples now spend engagements, anniversaries, and Valentine's Day at the warehouse.

The allure crosses over to celebrities, too. Meta cofounder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have been spotted browsing electronics in Mountain View, California, while Michelin-starred chef José Andrés routinely tags along on his wife’s Costco trips to scout their impressive French Bordeaux selection. Country star Russell Dickerson and his wife, Kailey, even leave their boys with grandma for warehouse dates, with Kailey joking that any kid-free excursion – especially a Costco run – feels romantic.

Perhaps no couple can claim more miles logged in the name of warehouse devotion than New York residents David and Susan Schwartz.

Bonded by a mutual obsession with the brand, the pair traveled over 300,000 miles to visit more than 350 warehouses in 14 countries to write their book, “The Joy of Costco: A Treasure Hunt from A to Z.” Today, they still relish dates at their local store. Today, they still relish dates at their local store.

Pick up in the frozen food aisle

When it comes to romance, "Love Island" has nothing on Costco.

Margot Schein, a self-described "Costco nerd," was browsing a dating app when she spotted the profile of Jules Parris, who listed Costco as a favorite.

Intrigued, Schein reached out, and the two met at a San Diego warehouse. They spent hours strolling the aisles, grazing on free samples and dining in the food court. Parris admits she forgot almost everything on her grocery list that day because she couldn’t take her eyes off Schein.

After a cross-country move for graduate school, the couple returned to that exact San Diego store on the third anniversary of their meet-cute to get hitched. With the warehouse manager's blessing, they exchanged vows under an archway by the checkout stands.

Today, they still preserve their Sunday morning shopping ritual. "Costco literally brought us together," Schein said. "People are like, 'You must really love capitalism,' and I’m like, 'That’s not it. I love this one store.'"

Robert Bonilla’s Costco love story began with a similar twist of fate.

Days before Christmas in 2013, Bonilla was navigating a crowded frozen food aisle when he locked eyes with a woman wearing cowboy boots.

Years later, he proposed in that very same aisle, attaching a marriage proposal note to a package of frozen shrimp. The couple eventually wed after-hours inside the store, saying "I do" as employees drove forklifts and restocked shelves in the background.

Though the marriage didn’t last, Bonilla’s relationship with Costco did.

Now single and a still familiar regular at his local Santa Maria, California, warehouse, he hasn't ruled out a sequel.

"You never know," Bonilla laughed. "I shop there all the time. In fact, I’m going there today."

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Geography Postdoc and Research Scientist Showcase Colloquium

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 14:32:00 +0000

Geography Postdoc and Research Scientist Showcase Colloquium Gabriela Rocha Sales Mon, 09/21/2026 - 08:32

Speakers:

Dr. Sean Burns (Geography)

My research goal is to improve our understanding of the meteorological factors and conditions that control the exchange of energy and gases between the surface and atmosphere in complex, forested terrain. This research is carried out at the University of Colorado Niwot Ridge Subalpine Forest AmeriFlux site where a 26-m tall tower is used to measure wind, temperature, water vapor, and carbon dioxide.

Dr. Yu Peng (ESIIL)

Yu Peng is an agroecologist dedicated to evaluating and scaling nature-based solutions in managed terrestrial ecosystems to foster ecosystem resilience and services. His research combines field measurements with global synthesis to quantify soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, greenhouse gas (GHG) dynamics, and nitrogen leaching across diverse agricultural landscapes.

Prior to joining ��ñ��, Yu earned his Ph.D. in Applied Earth and Environmental Sciences from Indiana University, where he evaluated the climate mitigation potential of cover crops in close collaboration with local farmers, regional conservation agencies, and the USGS. He also holds the joint dual M.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Copenhagen and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a B.S. in GIS from Central China Normal University.

At ESIIL, Yu focuses on leveraging AI-powered frameworks to harmonize multi-source datasets spanning lab assays, field observations, literature syntheses, and satellites images. His research aims to scale agricultural nature-based solutions from regional to continental levels and translate global syntheses into mechanistic insights, delivering scalable, science-backed strategies for sustainable agroecosystem functioning.

Dr. Kai Kopecky (ESIIL)

Kai is a community and marine ecologist and earned his PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was involved with the NSF Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research (MCR LTER) site. He is interested in how new disturbance regimes, brought on by global change, affect the capacity for ecosystems to recover after a disturbance occurs (i.e., ecosystem resilience). In particular, he studies how the dead, remnant structures of foundation species (a type of material legacy; e.g., dead trees, coral skeletons, bivalve shells, etc.) affect ecological processes that drive ecosystem recovery. He combines remote sensing techniques (photogrammetry, structure from motion) with AI-assisted image analysis, as well as time series analysis and mathematical modeling to understand how material legacies of foundation species are being altered under global change, and the impacts this will have on the resilience of contemporary ecosystems.

Dr. Karl Andraczek (ESIIL)

Karl is an ecologist who uses trait-based approaches and causal inference techniques to study the relationship between plant diversity and ecosystem functioning. His interests span both the above- and belowground world of plants, and he is driven by the motivation to find nature-based solutions to extreme climatic events like drought. Before coming to ��ñ��, he received his PhD in Ecology at the University of Leipzig, Germany, and worked as a postdoc at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), where he was PI of an independent research project using belowground plant traits to understand the climate resilience of grasslands. He is excited to collaborate around climate resilience, biodiversity–ecosystem functioning and their feedbacks, and trait ecology.

Dr. Wyatt Million (ESIIL)

Wyatt is a marine ecologist focusing on tropical coral reefs, acclimatization and adaptation to climate change, and environmental variability's impact on species physiology and distribution. Wyatt received his doctorate at the University of Southern California studying phenotypic plasticity of coral in the Florida Keys. Most recently as a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Technology Sydney, he explored the consequences of marine deoxygenation for tropical coral on the Great Barrier Reef.

At ESIIL, Wyatt will focus on characterizing dissolved oxygen dynamics on coral reefs around the world to find patterns associated with coral bleaching, reef health, and species distributions. This work will combine a patchwork of dissolved oxygen, temperature, and coral ecological datasets to create tools for assessing deoxygenation on reefs.

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Jessica Finlay received $3.7 million grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 14:31:20 +0000

Jessica Finlay received $3.7 million grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) National Institute on Aging (NIA) Gabriela Rocha Sales Mon, 09/21/2026 - 08:31

Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Geography and Institute of Behavioral Science Faculty Fellow, Dr. Jessica Finlay for receiving $3.7 million grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) National Institute on Aging (NIA) for her project!

The project is titled “Life Course Cognability: A Mixed Methods Study of Neighborhoods and Cognitive Health.” The five-year project will examine how neighborhood services, amenities and hazards influence cognitive health and dementia risk across adulthood.

In addition to this grant, Jessica Finlay has also received the Gateway Exposome Coordinating Center pilot grant and the Center to Accelerate Population Research in Aging pilot grant.

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Jennifer Balch in Boise State Public Radio - NPR: Researchers, other experts join forces to tackle the problem of fast, destructive blazes

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:24:29 +0000

Jennifer Balch in Boise State Public Radio - NPR: Researchers, other experts join forces to tackle the problem of fast, destructive blazes Gabriela Rocha Sales Tue, 09/08/2026 - 10:24

Article text copied for archival purposes.

Researchers, other experts join forces to tackle the problem of fast, destructive blazes

Boise State Public Radio News

by Murphy Woodhouse

Published September 3, 2026 at 5:07 PM MDT

From Spokane, Wash. to Pueblo County, Colo., fast-moving fires have again wreaked havoc in neighborhoods this summer. Now, a network of scientists, fire professionals and other experts have joined forces to seek research-based solutions to the problem.

��ñ�� fire scientist Jennifer Balch argues that widespread thinking about the wildfire crisis is wrong in some basic ways. In a 2024 paper, she and co-authors argued that it isn’t the increasing size of fires that’s threatening homes and lives: it’s their speed.

In a recent two-decade period, wildfires that grew more than 4,000 acres in a day were less than 3% of the roughly 60,000 fires they analyzed. But that small portion accounted for nearly 90% of structures damaged or destroyed.

“We need to shift away from thinking that ‘big’ is the problem because it's not. It's actually the small, fast-moving fires that are the ones that are destroying most of our homes,” she told the Mountain West News Bureau this week. “They're also mostly in grassland systems, they're not in the middle of the woods.”

A paradigmatic example is Colorado’s 2021 Marshall Fire, a wind-driven but relatively small blaze that destroyed more than 1,000 suburban homes in an afternoon just before New Year’s.

“Fires are also getting faster, which is really compromising firefighting abilities and suppression teams,” she added.

On average, the maximum fire growth rate jumped by just shy of 250% across the West, with even sharper accelerations seen in parts of California, Idaho, Washington and Oregon, according to the 2024 paper.

To help inform policy responses, Balch and her colleagues recently launched the National Science Foundation-funded Fast Fire Network. The inaugural meeting was held this week.

“We really want to build a larger collaborative community because this is an all-hands-on-deck moment when we need everybody across sectors to be thinking about how we solve the fast fire problem,” she said.

Some 175 people representing academia, industry, nonprofits and government joined the virtual event, a level of interest Balch called “exciting.”

Moving forward, participants will work in smaller teams to develop new tools and data-driven policy responses, Balch said. At the end of the five-year effort, they’ll present the solutions they develop.

Because fast-moving blazes so often overwhelm the ability of structure and wildland firefighters to respond, Balch said that many of the most impactful solutions will focus on resilience, not emergency response.

“We need to be thinking about building and hardening homes, making communities more fire resilient, coming up with evacuation plans well in advance of any fires starting,” she said. “And, we also need to use fire to fight fire.”

“We need to deal with it before a fire even starts,” she added. “Because once you have a fast-moving fire, it's too late.”

This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Boise State Public Radio, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio and KJZZ in Arizona as well as NPR, with support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.

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