Monday, March 16, 2026 - 4:00pm
Event Calendar Category
LIDS Seminar Series
Speaker Name
Manil Maskey
Affiliation
NASA
Building and Room Number
32-155
"Artificial Intelligence for Science at NASA: Accelerating Discovery"
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is significantly transforming the process of scientific discovery. This talk will describe how AI grounded in science rigor is enabling NASA science to accelerate discovery. This talk will cover development of domain-specific AI foundation models, multimodal learning, open science platforms, and data-centric AI approaches relevant for scientific workflows. The talk will also highlight the opportunities and challenges of applying AI and data science in NASA’s scientific domains. Finally, the presentation will explore collaborative efforts that can help further advance the developments of AI for Science in order to enable new discoveries.
Dr. Manil Maskey is a Senior Research Scientist and Manager of the Office of Data Science and Informatics at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. An expert in AI-driven data systems, advanced analytics, and scientific visualization, Dr. Maskey has over 25 years of experience spanning industry, academia, and government. Prior to joining NASA, he worked on large-scale data mining applications at NCR/Teradata and conducted machine learning research for NASA and NSF at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).
At NASA, he has played a leading role in modernizing science data systems and advancing AI capabilities across the agency. He previously served as the Data Science and Innovation Lead for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, where he led the agency’s AI initiatives, including foundation models for science and data-centric AI strategies. He also established the data management project for NASA's Commercial Satellite Data Program and has led high-profile competitive solicitations, cross-agency programs, and international collaborations.
Dr. Maskey is a recipient of the NASA Agency Exceptional Achievement Medal, NASA Agency Silver Achievement Medal, several NASA Agency Group Achievement Awards, and multiple NASA Marshall Innovation awards. In addition to his work at NASA, he serves as an adjunct faculty member in the UAH Atmospheric Science Department. He holds leadership roles in several professional organizations, including serving as a senior member of IEEE and chairing the Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) technical committee. He represents NASA in interagency activities through the Big Data Interagency Working Group and serves on the Steering Committee of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Program.