KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

2025

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER

Anand Varma, Photographer and Creator of WonderLab

Step into a world of wonder with biologist-turned-photographer Anand Varma as he unlocks the mysteries of nature through cutting-edge photography techniques. In his Berkeley-based WonderLab, Anand captures the invisible behaviors of the natural world, beyond our naked eye. His images and videos reveal the hidden worlds that exist just outside of our perception, from the mesmerizing life cycle of a honeybee to the lightning-fast wings of a hummingbird. With Anand’s expert guidance, we can slow down the fast, speed up the slow, and magnify the miniature, enabling us to see the true beauty and complexity of the natural world.

KEYNOTES

  • Anand Varma, National Geographic Explorer & Photographer

    With a background in integrative biology, Anand Varma uses photography and video to share the science and stories behind things the naked eye cannot perceive—like the mating practices of jellyfish and the hunting habits of vampire bats in the Yucatan rainforest. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, Anand spent several years assisting photographer David Liittschwager before receiving a National Geographic grant to document the wetlands of Patagonia in 2010. He has photographed numerous stories for National Geographic magazine, including the 2014 cover story, “Mindsuckers”—revealing the story of the world’s most resourceful parasites, the kind that can alter their hosts’ DNA and even control their minds. He has been a National Geographic emerging explorer, Media Innovation fellow, and Civic Science fellow, and has won the World Press Photo Award for best nature story.

  • Noelle Bowlin, PhD

    Dr. Noelle Bowlin is the program lead at the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) program at NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center. CalCOFI is one of the longest running fisheries surveys in the country and is a pioneer of the ecosystem approach used widely today. Dr. Bowlin is an ecosystem modeler specializing in the mesopelagic zone.

    More About Noelle
    https://www.careergirls.org/role-models/marine-biologist-0/1510x1510_noellebowlin/

  • Backyard Buoys: Bridging Indigenous Knowledge and Technology

    The Backyard Buoys™ project enables Indigenous and coastal communities to gather and use wave data, enhancing their blue economy and hazard protection. Leveraging low-cost and scalable marine technology, Backyard Buoys offers a system for community-managed ocean buoys and web apps that simplify data access to complement Indigenous Knowledge.
    https://backyardbuoys.org/

    John Hopson Jr., Alaska Eskimo Walrus Commission
    Jenny Evans, Alaska Eskimo Walrus Commission
    Sheyna Wisdom, Alaska Ocean Observing System