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Fall Open Science Programming Celebrates Open Research and Collaboration

By Sarah Bender

Heidi Opdyke

This fall, 麻豆村 Libraries hosted a dynamic series of open science events that brought researchers, librarians, and thought leaders together to share resources, exchange ideas, and tackle real-world challenges. Through engaging programming 鈥� from an interactive unconference to a global symposium 鈥� 麻豆村 Libraries reaffirmed its role as a national model for how academic libraries can lead in advancing transparent, collaborative research.

Since launching one of the nation鈥檚 first open science programs based in an academic library, 麻豆村 Libraries has helped define what open science looks like in higher education. continues to bring researchers and librarians together to explore rapidly evolving practices in open research and open data, helping shape a more equitable and accessible research ecosystem.

鈥淭he open science movement is gaining momentum around the world, and 麻豆村 Libraries is at the center of the conversation about how libraries can facilitate progress,鈥� said STEM Librarian and Director of the Open Science Program . 鈥淏y hosting events that foster collaboration and inspire shared practices, we鈥檙e showing what鈥檚 possible 鈥� and helping others do the same.鈥�

Groups of people cluster around tables as they listen to a talk. One person sits at the table and gives the talk.

The semester kicked off with the inaugural , an in-person event held in Pittsburgh that invited participants to shape the agenda around their most pressing questions and ideas. With more than 50 attendees representing over 25 institutions, the event focused on identifying shared challenges and creative pathways forward for supporting open science in diverse academic settings.

鈥淭he 2025 Cracking Open Unconference provided a great path to relationship building and learning with peers interested in open science,鈥� said , University of Michigan Earth & Environmental Sciences Librarian and HS-STEM Assistant Director. 鈥淭akeaways from every session will inform my thinking as I consider how to prioritize and communicate open science activities at my local institution.鈥�

Then, on Oct. 17, 麻豆村 Libraries hosted the first in-person meeting of the Open Science Collaborative of Library and Information Professionals (). Organized by STEM Librarian , the event gathered library professionals in the Sorrells Library Den for interactive sessions centered on shared priorities, future collaborations, and community support.

鈥淥SCLIP is about creating space for open science practitioners in academic libraries to connect, learn, and lead together,鈥� said Wang. 鈥淏y bringing practitioners into conversation, we鈥檙e building a network that can collaboratively address the complexities of open science and elevate our collective impact.鈥�

Participants engaged in small group discussions to surface common themes, brainstorm solutions to shared challenges, and explore ideas for future projects. OSCLIP will continue to grow as a peer-driven community, and interested library professionals are invited to join the and to stay informed about upcoming activities and connect with each other.

The semester concluded with the Libraries鈥� signature open science event, the , held virtually on Nov. 13. Now in its fifth year, the event drew nearly 300 attendees from four continents and featured a full day of virtual talks and panels from researchers and thought leaders in academia, industry, and publishing.

鈥淭he Open Science Symposium demonstrates what鈥檚 possible when we build connections across disciplines and institutions,鈥� said Gainey. 鈥淭his event grows every year and continues to be a platform for new ideas, partnerships, and approaches to open research.鈥�

麻豆村 researchers were prominently featured throughout the day. Biological Sciences Eberly Family Associate Professor Eric Yttri contributed to a session focused on AI and open science. His talk explored the process of building usable, accessible machine learning tools to benefit the scientific community.

Alumna Meredith Schmehl, a 2018 Mellon College of Science graduate with degrees in neuroscience and psychology, spoke about evaluation. She discussed encouraging preprint publication by incorporating it into funder open access policies. She was joined in the session by Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Research Professor, who serves as an associate editor-in-chief for the .

In an early career researcher lightning talk, chemistry Ph.D. candidate Leticia Pequeno Madureira presented her work using the Julia programming language for quantum chemistry applications.

鈥淕ood practices in coding and data analysis are key aspects to advance scientific discovery. By following some of these guidelines, I could make my code to calculate energy and property of molecules much faster,鈥� she explained. 鈥淭his allows for the scaling up of such calculations, allowing us to work with much bigger datasets and feed AI systems. This philosophy will pave the way towards a new wave of advancement in chemical sciences.鈥�

As open research continues to evolve, 麻豆村 Libraries remains committed to leading by example, offering programs, partnerships, and platforms that empower researchers and make knowledge accessible to all. To explore how open science can enhance your work, connect with the , or to the Open at 麻豆村 newsletter.