Cryosphere 2025: Innovations for Water Security and Climate Resilience

December 9 – 10, 2025 | Hopkins Bloomberg Center

Earth’s cryosphere—the planet’s frozen regions including ice sheets, glaciers, permafrost, snow, and sea ice—is undergoing rapid decline due to climate change. These systems store vital freshwater, regulate weather, protect coastal ecosystems, and sustain livelihoods and cultures. Their breakdown threatens communities worldwide through sea level rise, water scarcity, infrastructure damage, and geopolitical instability. Urgent action informed by interdisciplinary science, engineering, and policy is required to monitor, preserve, manage, and overcome these challenges.

This two-day convening workshop will catalyze innovative thinking, evidence-based debates, and tangible proposals for protecting the planet’s threatened frozen regions. The program will be structured around four key themes:

  • Monitoring and Analysis of the Cryosphere
  • Intervention Technologies to Protect the Cryosphere
  • Planetary Health and the Retreating Cryosphere
  • International Climate Policies and Cryosphere Preservation

Program Overview

Tuesday, December 9, 2025Wednesday, December 10, 2025
8:30 am – 9:00 amBreakfast and Registration8:30 am – 9:00 amBreakfast and Registration
9:00 am – 9:50 amKeynote Speaker 19:00 am – 9:50 amKeynote Speaker 5
9:50 am – 10:40 amKeynote Speaker 29:50 am – 10:40 amKeynote Speaker 6
10:40 am – 11:00 amBreak10:40 am – 11:00 amBreak
11:00 am – 12:30 pmPanel Discussion11:00 am – 12:30 pmPanel Discussion
12:30 pm – 1:30 pmLunch/Networking12:30 pm – 1:30 pmLunch/Networking
1:30 pm – 2:20 pmKeynote Speaker 31:30 pm – 2:20 pmKeynote Speaker 7
2:20 pm – 3:10 pmKeynote Speaker 42:20 pm – 3:10 pmKeynote Speaker 8
3:10 pm – 3:30 pmBreak3:10 pm – 3:30 pmBreak
3:30 pm – 5:00 pmPanel Discussion3:30 pm – 5:00 pmPanel Discussion
5:00 pm – 5:20 pmPoster Session5:00 pm – 5:20 pmClosing
7:00 pm – 9:00 pmBanquet Dinner

Registration

Registration is not yet open. Please check back for a registration link and abstract submission details.

Venue

Location

Hopkins Bloomberg Center
555 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 
Washington, D.C. 20001

Nearby Hotels

NameLocationDistanceContact InformationURL
Waldorf Astoria Washington DC 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20004
.4 miles
4 minute drive,
10 minute walk
202-695-1100 or email
DCAWA.Hotel@Waldorf
Astoria.com
Website
Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington DC 700 F Street NW,
Washington, DC 20004
.4 miles
3 minute drive,
10 minute walk
202-628-7177Website
Riggs Washington DC900 F St NW,
Washington DC, 20004
.5 miles
4 minute drive,
12 minute walk
202-638-1800 or
[email protected]
om
Website
AC Hotel Washington DC Convention Center601 K Street NW,
Washington, DC 20001
.7 miles
5 minute drive,
15 minute walk
202-921-6900Website
JW Marriott Washington, DC1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20004
.8 miles
5 minute drive,
15 minute walk
202-393-2000Website

Parking and Transportation

Parking

Parking near the venue is limited, so we recommend reserving a spot in advance through a service like SpotHero.

  • 601 North Building Garage
    • 601 Pennsylvania Ave NW
    • .1 miles, 2 minute walk
  • Liberty Place Garage
    • 325 7th Street NW
    • .3 miles, 5 minute walk
  • The Lansburgh Garage Lot 416
    • 425 8th Street NW
    • .4 miles, 8 minute walk
  • Gallery Place Colonial Parking Station 602
    • 777 7th Street NW
    • .6 miles, 11 minute walk
  • Lincoln Square Garage Lot 770
    • 555 11th Street NW
    • .6 miles, 11 minute walk

Transportation

For those taking public transportation, nearby Metro stations include: 

  • Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Station (Green & Yellow Lines) – 0.2 miles (4-minute walk) 
  • Judiciary Square Station (Red Line) – 0.3 miles (6-minute walk) 
  • Federal Triangle Station (Blue, Orange & Silver Lines) – 0.5 miles (11-minute walk) 

Organizing Committee

Jaafar El-Awady

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Jaafar El-Awady

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Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering 

Faculty Co-Director, Practice Program, JHIPH

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Samuel Myers

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Samuel Myers

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Professor, Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health

Founding Director, JHIPH

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Alexandra Phelan

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Alexandra Phelan

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Associate Professor, Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health

Faculty Co-Director, Policy Program, JHIPH 

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Christopher Stiles

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Christopher Stiles

Short Separator

Assistant Research Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering

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Tamer Zaki

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Tamer Zaki

Short Separator

Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering

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Benjamin Zaitchik

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Benjamin Zaitchik

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Morton K. Blaustein Chair and Professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences

Associate Director, JHIPH

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Sponsors