About

CODE-GEO (Collecting Observations for Data Encoding in the Geosciences) is a 1 week program where participants with minimal or zero coding experience gain transferable skills in computer programming and data analysis. CODE-GEO began in 2018 as a Spring Break program with a collaboration between Hampton University and Virginia Tech funded by the Virginia Tech ICTAS program that had a scientific focus on coastal subsidence in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. The revised program is funded by the National Science Foundation CAREER program (#1943681) for years 2021-2025 with a scientific focus on volcanic hazards assessment. 

The 2021 program took place May 24-28 virtually with synchronous instruction in the morning (Eastern Time). Topics covered in the 2021 program included developing skills in using the Linux terminal, shell scripting, data analysis, Generic Mapping Tools, cultural effectiveness, and online collaboration tools.

The 2022 program took place February 28 - March 4, 2022 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. Topics covered in 2022 included using the Linux terminal, shell scripting, data analysis, Generic Mapping Tools, Jupyter Notebooks, Python, cultural effectiveness, and online collaboration tools.

The main 2023 CODE-GEO program took place March 13-17, 2023 virtually with synchronous instruction in the afternoon (Eastern Time). Topics covered in the 2023 program included developing skills in using the Linux terminal, shell scripting, data analysis, Generic Mapping Tools, cultural effectiveness, and online collaboration tools. 

Also in 2023, CODE-GEO was taught in-person at the University of Texas, Austin by Ms. Karen Williams and Dr. Emmanuel Njinju as part of their 2023 Summer Institute on Inclusive Research Mentoring and Inclusive Communication of Science program.  

The 2024 CODE-GEO program took place at Virginia Tech from March 4-8. Technical topics covered included the Linux terminal, the vim text editor, volcanology, awk, Generic Mapping Tools, shell scripting, the Scientific Method, data visualization, experiment design, dMODELS, GNSS instruments, and F-test statistics. In addition, participants gained skills in active listening, implicit biases, active bystander training, intercultural competence, inclusive behavior, creating effective LinkedIn accounts, giving a dynamic presentation, Google slides, Google drawing, and team presentations. Below is the topics schedule for CODE-GEO 2024.