






Top photo is Dr. Mary Finley-Brook. From left to right below her photo are Dr. Kyle Redican, Annie Evans, and Kyle Jenkins. Next are Sydney Cassidy, Beth Zazzamia, Sophie Tanner, and Wenyi Liu.
2/11/25 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm FOJG Program - The Silicon Valley of the East - Virginia as a Hotspot for Data Centers and AI with University of Richmond Faculty Dr. Mary Finley-Brook, Dr. Kyle Redican, Annie Evans, Kyle Jenkins, Beth Zizzamia, and Students Sophie Tanner, Sydney Cassady, and Wenyi Liu. RF & P Forum room at the Science Museum of Virginia, at 2500 W. Broad St, Richmond, 23220.
Virginia has been referred to as the “Silicon Valley of the East” due to its high concentration of hyperscale data centers. Working alongside community partners, a team from the University of Richmond have been exploring the economic, political, social and ecological ramifications of Virginia hosting hundreds of data centers. The geographies and ecologies of cloud computing are important to understand with rapid growth projected as a result of prolific AI use. The uptick in energy, water and land use and the uncertainty of supply chains for chips and other components creates uncertainty, perhaps even looming shocks according to experts. Policymakers and community advocates who become more informed about this sector can better serve to mitigate harms for society and ecology. Analyzing recent trends and unpacking predictions improves capacity to make informed decisions for responsible use of technology.
Thus, our team aims to support the public to obtain information, resources and skills. For example, researchers in the Spatial Analysis Lab launched an app for the public to see distances from data centers to cultural sites, parks and schools. The University team partnered with the Virginia Geographic Alliance and New American History to host a virtual academy about data science sustainability for teachers and educators in sciences, technology and the arts. Meanwhile, staff with the Boatwright Library have compiled data center and AI subject guides to share helpful resources, while professors in the Department of Geography, Environment and Sustainability have engaged students and community partners in research projects. Our team will share an interactive display of research results from the past two years during which time project collaborators included Sierra Club, Henrico Conservation Action Network, and the Mattaponi Nation.
Bios of Presenters
Dr. Mary Finley-Brook has taught Geography, Environmental Studies, and Sustainability at the University of Richmond since 2006. Her community-based research is highlighted in the article Racism and Toxic Burden in Rural Dixie. Her textbook, Climate Crisis, Energy Violence: Mapping Fossil Energy’s Enduring Grasp on Our Precarious Future, examines global energy transition. Mary’s research on data centers and AI exposes concerning trends for energy, water and employment in the context of climate change.
Dr. Kyle Redican is the Director of the Spatial Analysis Lab / Assistant Teaching Faculty at the University of Richmond, Richmond, VA 23226. Email: kredican@richmond.edu. His research interests include applied spatial data science for sustainability, assessment and mitigation of uncertainty in US Census data, and the integration of AI in GIS education.
Annie Evans is Director of Education and Outreach, New American History, University of Richmond. Annie has spent over half her life teaching history, civics, and geography in Virginia’s K12 public schools. With New American History, she collaborates with a network of educators across the country to create learning resources to inspire the next generation of educators, public historians, and community leaders. Embracing inquiry and place-based learning, she serves as co-coordinator of the Virginia Geographic Alliance and is a National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow and Certified Educator.
Kyle Jenkins is a Social Sciences Librarian and the First-Year Instruction Coordinator at the University of Richmond’s Boatwright Library. He works directly with UR students, staff, and faculty on a wide range of research-related topics, including information literacy instruction, research assistance, and resource acquisition.
Sophie Tanner is a fourth-year student of Global Studies, Latin American Studies, and Sustainability. She has spent enriching semesters in Ecuador and Chile, where she deepened her understanding of global flows of resources, people, and power and their influence on communities and the environment. Going forward, Sophie plans to focus on sustainable food systems and the ways in which degrowth can strengthen our relationships with each other and the planet we share, in addition to building resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Sydney Cassady is a Senior majoring in Geography with a minor in Data Science. By applying her knowledge of data science and remote sensing, Sydney created thermal heat maps showing data center locations and their heat emissions throughout Virginia. In the future, she hopes to create solutions to mitigate the heat emissions from data centers.
Wenyi Liu is a Junior and major in Geography and a minor in Business. He has conducted sustainability research focused on the data center policy landscape in Virginia. He also assessed Amazon Web Services in a case study discussing resource limits and rights. As a photographer, Wenyi surveys the disruptions of data centers via portfolios of photos. In the future, he plans to try to innovate sustainable solutions for data storage.
Beth Zizzamia is the GIS Operations Manager for the Spatial Analysis Lab at the University of Richmond. Her areas of expertise include database management, vector analysis, field collection protocols and cartographic production. Her experience with diverse research topics includes structural geology, hydrology, urban heat island mitigation, air quality assessment, and mapping invasive species, campus trees and historic cemeteries. Contact Beth at bzizzami@richmond.edu.
Cost: Free