BURLINGTON, Vt. – More than 225 researchers, students and practitioners gathered at the University of Vermont for the 2025 CIROH Developers Conference (DevCon), underscoring CIROH’s role as a national hub for next-generation water prediction and decision support.

Spanning four days and more than 40 hours of workshops, the event showcased a mix of applied science, machine learning, social science and operational expertise. These themes were brought together through CIROH’s mission to accelerate research-to-operations (R2O) and improve water resilience across North America.
Strong Operational Partnerships
Keynote speakers from NOAA’s National Ocean Service, NIDIS, NASA’s Western Water Applications Office and the USGS Water Mission Area peppered the conference, reflecting CIROH’s integration with federal agencies. These partnerships support mission-driven science and help ensure research is transitioned into operational tools that serve the public.
“When I talk to folks who are in communities that have been affected—and it’s folks with no scientific background—they hear about the work that [CIROH] is doing … working with Vermonters here and setting up monitoring programs to give them real-time information that can make a real difference in preparedness, saving homes and saving lives,” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said. “That’s incredibly important, needed and we must maintain our commitment to that resilience. So, I just want to express the gratitude I have on behalf of Vermonters.”
Watch Sen. Welch’s full presentation here.



A Hands-On Experience
DevCon’s flexible format allowed attendees to craft a custom curriculum by choosing from five thematic tracks:
- Machine learning in hydrology
- Flood inundation mapping
- Community NextGen
- Hydroinformatics and data science
- Social science and communication
Led by expert facilitators, these interactive workshops focused on practical skills, real-world applications and open-source tools.






“As a fresh graduate and early career professional, DevCon helped me to contextualize my role in the broader hydrological science community and R2O scheme,” said Quinn Lee, staff scientist with CIROH. “It was really special to be surrounded by like-minded people who love science and research and to make connections with people who I hope to be working with for years to come.”
Research in Motion: Ideas, Collaboration and Community
At DevCon 2025, research is an active process. From keynotes to workshops to the dynamic poster sessions, CIROH’s research themes came to life through hands-on engagement, interdisciplinary dialogue and iterative problem-solving.
Poster sessions, in particular, served as a lively venue for exchange, where participants traded insights and sparked new collaborations.



Student Engagement and Early Career Recognition
CIROH’s commitment to workforce development was visible throughout the event, with students presenting research, showcasing posters and receiving prestigious awards. This year, CIROH introduced two new awards designed to celebrate rising talent and practical innovation in water research:
- Student Developer Award: Savalan Naser Neisary
- Early Career Paper Award: Reihaneh Zarrabi for her machine learning research on channel geometry published in Water Resources Research


Fostering Community
Beyond the informative sessions, DevCon nurtured a strong sense of community. Dedicated networking events were best exemplified by this year’s field trip to Lake Champlain, where participants boarded University of Vermont’s research and teaching vessel Marcelle Melosira to learn about UVM CIROH’s research into harmful algal blooms and discuss Vermont’s on-going efforts to address water quality concerns.





“This year, we added more networking opportunities in response to requests from the community. This included an evening networking event and open meeting time sessions,” said Sagy Cohen, CIROH deputy director. “The networking event was undoubtedly a moment we will all remember for a long time, specifically the double rainbow.”
Looking Ahead
As CIROH continues to bridge disciplines, institutions and sectors, DevCon will remain a vital space for advancing the science and practice of water prediction. The relationships forged, tools refined and ideas exchanged in Burlington will continue to boost the delivery of actionable water intelligence—fueling innovation, informing decisions and helping communities better prepare.