[NFBMI-Wayne-County] FW: The Science and Engineering Division and National Association of Blind Students Joint STEM Seminar

Mon Feb 2 17:13:24 UTC 2026

From: Louis Maher <ljmaher03 at outlook.com> 
Sent: Monday, February 2, 2026 6:36 AM
Subject: The Science and Engineering Division and National Association of
Blind Students Joint STEM Seminar

The Science and Engineering Division and National Association of Blind
Students Joint STEM Seminar

Two divisions of the National Federation of the Blind, namely: The Science
and Engineering Division (SED) and the National Association of Blind
Students (NABS), are presenting a joint Zoom conference on how blind college
and graduate students, and blind professionals, are succeeding in courses
and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Zoom
conference link will be the standard NABS Zoom link shown at the bottom of
this message. The call will occur at 7:30 PM EST through 9 PM EST on Sunday,
February 22, 2026. We will have three speakers. Each talk will be twenty
minutes long with an extra five minutes for questions.

Topics will be of interest for blind students from middle school through
graduate school and for professionals. Parents of blind school-aged children
and educators are also welcome. 

Currently, the scheduled titles, speakers, abstracts, and speaker
introductions, are:

Opening Remarks 

Lauren Altman, president, National Association of Blind Students
(nabs.president at gmail.com <mailto:nabs.president at gmail.com> ), and John
Miller, president, Science and Engineering Division
(Johnmillerphd at hotmail.com <mailto:Johnmillerphd at hotmail.com> ) (7:30 PM)

Title: Engineering the Future: Storing Clean Energy Deep Beneath Our Feet
(7:40 PM) 

Speaker: Matthew Ard (mattard at stanford.edu <mailto:mattard at stanford.edu> ) 

Abstract: The transition to clean energy is one of the greatest challenges
of our time, but what opportunities actually exist to solve this crucial
problem? In this talk, I will introduce the field of Energy Science and
Engineering and discuss how I am working to tackle climate change through my
research on large-scale energy storage. I will share my journey from
undergraduate studies to a PhD program and discuss the methods and
technologies I use to conduct high-level research as a student with a visual
impairment. By sharing my research and personal experience, I hope to
demystify the research process and show that a career in research is a
tangible reality for students from all backgrounds.

Speaker Introduction: Matthew is a second-year PhD student at Stanford
University in the Energy Science and Engineering program and a National
Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. His research is focused on
enabling a clean energy future through underground energy storage. He
graduated from San Jose State University with a B.S. in Mechanical
Engineering. As an undergraduate, he conducted research at Stanford
University and Columbia University, where he focused on solving problems
related to climate change. Beyond the lab, Matthew is dedicated to improving
accessibility and advocating for inclusion in his communities. He works with
the Office of Access, Belonging, and Community and mentors undergraduate and
graduate students to help them navigate their own paths in higher education.

Questions: (8:00 PM) 

Title: Birding by Ear and Beyond; Exploring, experiencing, and engaging in
the wonder of the Natural world as a person who is blind (8:05 PM)

Speaker: Donna Posont (dposont at umich.edu <mailto:dposont at umich.edu> )  

Abstract: Wonder of the natural world is for everyone and that includes
those who are blind or low vision. Sometimes we learn in various ways by
engaging all our other senses to experience natural science. This program at
the University of Michigan-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center meets
at least monthly to learn about nature and is taught as though all
participants are blind, but, friends and family are welcome.

Speaker Introduction: 

Donna Posont

Coordinator: Birding by Ear and Beyond

Environmental Interpretive Center

University of Michigan-Dearborn

dposont at umich.edu <mailto:dposont at umich.edu> 

I have a bachelor's degree in social work from West Liberty University in
West Virginia. I returned as a non-traditional student and received a degree
in Environmental Studies with a naturalist focus and a minor in Biology
graduating in 2015 from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. During my time
as a student I started a monthly program for blind people to learn to
identify birds by sound. Upon graduation I became a staff naturalist and the
program grew to Birding by Ear and Beyond. The Beyond part provides for
experiencing all aspects of the natural world such as frogs, tree, and plant
identification, learning about the watershed, building, and maintaining a
Butterfly Garden. I received training as a Certified Interpretive Guide from
the National Association of Interpretation, and this is helpful in sharing
about nature. The program has been featured in national magazines such as
Audubon and Birds and Blooms as well as appearing on CBS and NBC nightly
news and various podcasts such as Ray Brown's Talkin Birds, Any Bird,
Anybody, and Eyes Free Sports. In 2016 I receive the Outstanding Part time
Interpreter the Year award from the National Association of Interpretation
Region IV. In 2024 I was a Merit Award recipient from Michigan Association
of Environmental Outdoor Educators. My proudest moment came when I received
the Jacob Bolotin Award from the National Federation of the Blind in 2024
for an outstanding program which has enhanced the lives of people who happen
to be blind.

Questions: (8:25 PM)

Title: Audiom: Evaluating if digital interactive alternate text provides the
same information as visual spatial maps and diagrams (8:30 PM)

Speaker: Brandon Biggs (brandon.biggs at xrnavigation.io
<mailto:brandon.biggs at xrnavigation.io> )

Abstract: Sighted people view over 300 digital maps a year, in contrast to
blind people, who view less than one map a year on average. Only around
17.5% of blind

people have ever viewed a map of any kind as a blind person. This talk will
present Audiom, an interactive alternate text game-like digital interface
that

can allow the non-visual viewing and creation of different types of spatial
information, such as maps and diagrams. Over 13 academic studies and
co-designs

have been performed on over 150 blind and 40 sighted participants to create
and evaluate Audiom. The presentation will then discuss how Audiom is being

compared with visual digital maps and diagrams. The objective of this work
is to clearly define what it means for a non-visual text map to serve the
equivalent

purpose to a visual map to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
The results of this work should inform digital accessibility legislation to
facilitate

equal educational and employment opportunities for professions requiring the
use of spatial information.

Links to Audiom:

Personal use:

https://audiom.net

Commercial use:

https://xrnavigation.io

Speaker Introduction: Brandon Biggs is an entrepreneur, researcher,
inclusive designer, developer, and life-long learner. He is the CEO of XR
Navigation, an Engineer at the

Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, Co-Founder and board treasurer at
Sonja Biggs Educational Services Inc., and a PhD student at the Georgia
institute

of Technology. In 2016, he received his bachelor's in music from California
State University East Bay, in 2019 he received his master's in Inclusive
Design

from the Ontario College of Art and Design University, and in 2021, began
his PhD in Human Centered Computing from the Georgia Institute of
Technology.

He is almost completely blind from Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). His
projects and ventures center around building tools to solve some of the most

difficult problems in the blindness field. He leverages his lived experience
coupled with human centered inclusive design principles to create solutions

that create lasting and sustainable impact. To achieve this goal, Brandon is
half entrepreneur and half academic.

Questions: (8:50 PM)

Closing Remarks 

Lauren Altman and John Miller (8:55 PM)

Adjourn: (9:05 PM)

Division Contact Information 

If you wish to learn more about NABS, including how to become a member, go
to:

"https://www.nabslink.org/". 

If you wish to join the SED, go to:

"http://www.nfb.org/divisiondues".

Dues for NABS and SED are $5 per division per year.

NFB divisions' fiscal years start on January 1 and end on December 31 of the
same year.

Individuals may join the NABS and SED e-mail discussion groups at
"https://www.nfbnet.org/". 

If you have any questions about the mechanics of the seminar, please contact
Louis Maher (713-444-7838, ljmaher03 at outlook.com
<mailto:ljmaher03 at outlook.com> ).

----- 

Join Zoom Meeting:

February 22, 2026, 7:30 PM EST

Zoom Meeting Room
<https://zoom.us/j/4678833687?_x_zm_rtaid=KOKAICd1R4ihtmx1LS5OTg.17690214693
26.3ccbb5b08dc1b4996eb5278c87f34feb&_x_zm_rhtaid=216%23success> 

Meeting ID: 467 883 3687

One tap mobile

+13017158592,4678833687 US (Germantown) 

13126266799,,4678833687# US (Chicago)

Regards

Louis Maher

Phone: 713-444-7838

Email: ljmaher03 at outlook.com <mailto:ljmaher03 at outlook.com> 

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