Published Sep 15, 2023 by Alaska Native News

This school year, the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program’s Academic Year Acceleration Academy welcomes the largest-ever group of students and a nearly 30% increase in participation from the 2022-2023 school year. Across four communities, 187 Alaska high school students are participating in the Academy to earn college credits while simultaneously graduating from high school.

ANSEP hopes to make the Academic Year Acceleration Academy opportunity available to students in every region of Alaska by launching Acceleration Academies at every University of Alaska campus. It is currently available in Anchorage, Bethel, Kotzebue, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and has a year-round residential element on the Anchorage campus so students in other Alaska communities can participate. This year, there are 93 students participating in Anchorage, 38 students in Bethel, 11 students in Kotzebue, 25 students in Mat-Su, and 20 residential students. 

“We are thrilled to welcome our largest-ever group of students to ANSEP’s Academic Year Acceleration Academy,” said ANSEP Director of Special Projects Michael Bourdukofsky. “Acceleration Academy is paving the way for students to achieve their academic and career aspirations more economically and efficiently than ever before. Thanks to the support of our strategic partners, state funding, and donations, ANSEP has been able to expand Acceleration Academy opportunities across the state and provide advanced academic opportunities for even more students.” 

Published Sep 15, 2023 by Denise Runge

Through its community campuses and online program offerings, the University of Alaska Anchorage provides multiple entry points that meet learners where they are. UAA reaches far beyond the Municipality of Anchorage; we serve the communities of Southcentral Alaska through our campuses in Soldotna, Homer, Valdez, Kodiak, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and Anchorage, as well as thousands of students through our online programs and courses.

This type of arrangement, referred to as a dual-mission university, is somewhat unique among U.S. universities. At UAA, we provide numerous academic programs designed to meet specific workforce needs in Anchorage and across Alaska. Many of our programs use stacked credentials, allowing anyone to earn certificates, associate, bachelor’s or master’s degrees over time without losing credits.

Our communities have shown us they value this type of education and training. Enrollment at UAA is up roughly 5% from last fall, thanks in part to strong growth at many of our community campuses. This marks the fourth semester in a row that UAA has seen an increase in new student enrollment!

Whether as a high school student participating in one of our dual enrollment programs; a traditional student attending college after high school graduation; a military service member or dependent looking for flexible options for degree completion; or a working adult seeking education for career enhancement or personal growth, UAA’s campuses offer multiple pathways that are convenient, affordable and designed to prepare you for whatever comes next.

Published Sep 14, 2023 by Yereth Rosen

The slow start was part of “a weird summer” that featured very late snowmelt in many areas and snow in Fairbanks in early June, followed by some record high temperatures on the North Slope, among other events, said Rick Thoman, a scientist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

While the fire season ended up with acreage typical for a low year, “it’s the timing that was so remarkable,” he said.

Alaska wildfire numbers and acreage totals vary widely from year to year, but the record shows a definite pattern: The intervals between big fire years are getting shorter, a change scientists attribute to a warming climate.

The era of ultra-low Alaska fire seasons, with totals under 100,000 acres, appears to be over, Thoman said. Some of that is the result of wildfires emerging in places that previously burned only rarely, he said. “These fires in places that are not-so-historically fire-prone are preventing us from getting years that are super low,” he said.

That new pattern, which includes more fire activity in tundra regions among other departures from the past, is also linked to climate change, according to UAF scientists.