The 7th annual State of Science event took place Wednesday evening, Jan. 15, at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in the Innovation District. Six esteemed specialists presented current research projects on topics such as cutting-edge data storage, representing data in aesthetic mediums, preventing coastal flooding, and innovating medical technologies.
While each project is distinct—and some seemingly remote (Chris Stott of Lonestar Lunar, headquartered in St. Pete, is putting data centers on the moon, successfully)—each endeavor directly addresses local and global problems, supporting St. Pete’s economic development. To this end, each presenter represents key industries in the Innovation District: marine science, life science, data and technology, entrepreneurship, education, and art.
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Sarah Lindemuth, research director for the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, highlighted the significant contributions and growth of each field: marine science at $540 million; life science at $1.3 billion; data and technology at $160 million; entrepreneurship at $70 million; education at $300 million; art at $72 million. State of Science is more than a meeting of minds expounding personal passion projects—it is a direct reflection of the city’s collective successes, and in some cases, its concerns.
Successes, concerns, and portents
Mayor Ken Welch outlined the importance of innovators to St. Petersburg’s long-term vision and sustainability, citing recent hurricane devastation. While the city will rebuild, he noted (in paraphrase) that innovations like the ones developed in this district will help stave off future devastation.
As St. Petersburg actively works toward its 2050 vision plan, innovators will play a crucial role in protecting the city and its economic viability. The efforts of marine scientists, like Dr. Gary Mitchum of USF who presented at the event, actively track coastal flooding, a critical and growing community threat. In addition to staving future devastations, like those caused by Hurricane Milton. Institutions like those found within the Innovation district are central to attract outside innovators or convince existing ones to stay, increasing job growth.
In this way, State of Science may portend a glimpse into St. Pete’s future. In a 2021 WFLA interview, Cathie Woods—famous for her investments in disruptive innovations—explained why she moved her firm, ARK Invest, from New York to St. Pete. “St. Pete, I believe, has the opportunity to become the next Austin, and a thriving city attracting young people… who are involved in all things innovation,” Woods said.
State of Science contributors
This year’s State of Science presenters included Dr. Gary Mitchum, faculty in the Department of Marine Science at USF, speaking on coastal flooding challenges in St. Pete; Shannon Mulroony, nursing operations manager from Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, unveiled Hercules, an automated repositioning system that protects nurses from injury; and Dr. Martin Trapecar from Johns Hopkins, who studies inter-organ communication to better understand neurodivergence and diabetes.
Also presenting were Dr. Heather O’Leary, an assistant professor of cultural anthropology, sharing Crescendo, a data-literacy experiment that represents data in alternative mediums, like music; Chris Stott of Lonestar Lunar, pioneering data centers on the moon; and Sarah Lindemuth, who outlined St. Pete’s 2025 economic impact report.
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