The Montana NSF EPSCoR SMART FIRES project convened its Year 3 ‘All Hands Meeting’ (AHM2025) on September 8–9, 2025 at Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman, bringing together researchers, students, partners, and advisors from across the state and beyond to share progress, spark new collaborations, and deepen interdisciplinary connections.
The two-day event featured project updates, breakout sessions, seed funding presentations, and demonstrations of cutting-edge optical sensor technologies. Attendees included representatives from Montana State University, University of Montana (UM), Montana Technological University, Flathead Valley Community College, Little Big Horn College, Dawson Community College, and external partners such as Resonon, Vision Aerial, and the Blackfoot Challenge.
Leadership Reflections
“One of the best parts of my job is getting to listen and learn from brilliant, passionate scholars. SMART FIRES is a great example of Montanans coming together to tackle real challenges—wildfire, air quality, and climate change—with a collaborative spirit and a statewide reach.”
- MSU President, Dr. Brock Tessman
“Fire and air quality are issues that affect all of us, and EPSCoR enables a truly statewide collaboration. What struck me most is how comprehensive SMART FIRES is—spanning fire and smoke science, smart sensors, AI, social science, and cyberinfrastructure. The involvement of students and K–12 outreach is especially inspiring. This work will have real impact in Montana communities.”
- MSU’s Vice President of Research, Dr. Alison Harmon
"At first, these large projects can feel like climbing uphill, and everyone works hard, hoping the payoff will be worth it. The meeting was my confirmation that we reached the mountain’s saddle, where the landscape beyond is revealed. I saw convergence across diverse project elements, and I’m excited for the discoveries, community engagement, and integration ahead. There’s still much work to do, but the path forward is full of promise.”
- SMART FIRES Principal Investigator, Dr. Rob Walker
Project Updates
The Smart Optical Sensors (SOS) team developed and deployed advanced imaging and lidar systems on drones and rovers to collect real-time data on fire fuels and smoke during prescribed burns.
The Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (AIML) team created predictive models for fire risk, emissions, and fuel properties, while also exploring how public sentiment influences wildfire management decisions.
The Social Psychology, Economics & Ethics (SPEE) team studied public attitudes toward smoke and prescribed fire and developed GIS-based tools to support community-informed decision-making.
The Fire and Smoke Science (FSS) team conducted emissions measurements on multiple prescribed burns and advanced methods for monitoring smoke composition and post-fire vegetation recovery.
The Cyberinfrastructure team launched a secure big data sharing platform, supported research visibility through tools like ScholarNodes, and provided ongoing data management training and consultation to enhance collaboration and reproducibility across SMART FIRES.
The Broadening Participation team supported Indigenous students, early career faculty, and tribal communities through research assistantships, mentoring programs, professional development awards, and culturally responsive STEM outreach—expanding access and engagement across Montana’s diverse populations.
The Education & Workforce Development team expanded Montana’s fire science capacity by hiring new faculty in AIML, mentoring students and early-career researchers, developing K–12 STEM programs and exhibits, and laying the foundation for a statewide citizen science initiative.
Engagement & Collaboration
Partner Roundtable discussions emphasized the importance of collaboration across boundaries—technological, institutional, and ecological—to advance prescribed fire practices and community resilience.
Seed Grant Presentations by Jon Fitch (Dawson Community College) and Matthew Skuntz (MSU) highlighted innovative student-led research on Indigenous technologies and fluid dynamics.
Optical Sensor Demonstrations allowed attendees to learn about and engage directly with some of SMART FIRES’ cutting-edge technologies, including High Spectral Resolution Lidar, the Rover-based forest fuel detection system, leaf spectral signature method for tree species identification, the Smart Hyperspectral Camera, and the Atmospheric Polarization Imager—each showcasing how these tools support fire and smoke research through real-time data collection and analysis.
The Graduate Student Poster Session featured researchers from participating institutions presenting their current work related to SMART FIRES. Topics ranged from modeling smoke dispersion and analyzing volatile organic compounds in prescribed burns, to developing AI tools for fire prediction and exploring community perceptions of fire risk.
Voices from the Meeting
“My favorite part was showing the entire team the optical sensor systems we've worked so hard to get working. I also appreciated the chance to strategize with colleagues on how to make different experiments happen successfully.”
— Joe Shaw, Co-PI, SOS Lead | Distinguished Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, MSU
“I appreciate most the conversations with experts outside my field. Working with this multidisciplinary team is what may help us produce impactful work.”
— Lu Hu, Co-PI, FSS Smoke Lead | Associate Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Montana
“SMART FIRES is the largest capacity-building effort I’ve been part of. There’s no substitute for sitting around a table and sharing ideas—with no technology in the middle of it. The seed grants were money well spent, supporting compelling people and projects. And our graduate students? They’re absolute gold.”
— Carl Seielstad, FSS Fire Lead | Associate Dean, W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation; Fire Science Professor, University of Montana
“Serendipitous discussions are a highlight of All Hands meetings. It’s a delight when people who don’t typically work together find themselves in a group with no agenda other than to struggle with making sense of each other’s work and the common ground they share.” — Venice Bayrd, Data Lead | Data Curation Librarian, MSU Library
“I always walk away with new ideas and inspiration. These two days re-energize me to build bridges between research accomplishments and our broader impacts work.”
— Suzi Taylor, Broader Impacts Lead | Director, Science Math Resource Center, MSU
“The challenges with landscape-scale fire are huge and interconnected. They need people and institutions working from different backgrounds, pulling together in the same direction. That’s what SMART FIRES represents.” — Ben Williamson, Project Manager and 2025 All Hands Meeting Organizer, SMART FIRES
Looking Ahead
As SMART FIRES enters its third year, the project continues to build capacity across Montana, integrating research, education, and community engagement to address the complex realities of fire and smoke in the western U.S. The All Hands Meeting reaffirmed the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and the importance of bringing diverse voices to the table.