Title: Reclaiming the Night – Light Pollution Science & Advocacy with Ruoyu Li

Event Info: 
Please join us on Wednesday, July 8th, 2026, for an important and timely presentation on a topic that affects every astronomer: light pollution. We are delighted to welcome Ruoyu Li (李若愚) , a passionate dark sky advocate for over a decade and a current graduate researcher at New York University. This talk comes highly recommended by our own club member and frequent speaker, Maddalena Romano.

About the Speaker:
Ruoyu Li is an M.S. student in Urban Data Science at NYU's Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP) , graduating in May 2026. He is currently a Graduate Research Assistant on the Urban Nighttime Lighting Index (UNLI) project , sponsored by the NYU Goddard Impact Award, where he studies urban nighttime light pollution and its impacts on human health. He also serves as a Data Analysis and Social Impact Intern at DarkSky International , working on a foundational assessment of the International Dark Sky Places program's impact through lighting policy compliance and sky-quality data.

Ruoyu's advocacy runs deep. He has been one of the Beijing chapter leaders for DarkSky International since 2015 and has recently started leading the New York state chapter  – over a decade of fighting for the night. He has helped establish multiple International Dark Sky Places in China and has given invited talks at universities, government offices, and festivals across China and the United States.

His academic background includes two bachelor's degrees from the University of Arizona (Mathematics and Information Science & Technology), with minors in Statistics, Finance, and Computer Science. He has also interned at the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC) , participating in sky survey research and learning professional telescope operations.

A Few Highlights from His Work:

• Co-author of a manuscript under review on urban nighttime spectral responses using SDGSAT-1 glimmer imagery

• Author of "Dark Sky State: Arizona, US" in Chinese National Astronomy (2022)

• Organizer of NYC Open Data Week workshop: "Reclaiming the Night – Urban Light Pollution, Solutions, and Open Data" (2026)

• Featured in The New York Times for his work on New York's night sky (December 2025)

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from a young, energetic researcher and advocate who is making a real difference in the fight for dark skies. Please join us to support Ruoyu and learn how we can all help protect the night.

Clear skies!