Published Apr 20, 2023

At the High North Dialogue conference in Bodø, Norway, Diane Hirshberg (University of Alaska Anchorage) was awarded as the 2023 High North Hero. Congratulations Diane!

Her achievements in the fields of education and justice, including her work in the Thematic Network on Teacher Education for Social Justice and Diversity in Education and her overall contributions to higher education through UArctic were noted in the decision to award her with this prestigious prize.

Published Apr 20, 2023 by Eve A. Baker

The University of Alaska Fairbanks and United States Army Garrison Alaska Fort Wainwright have entered into a beneficial partnership for environmental services that links the Army with higher education in the local community.

Leaders from UAF and USAG Alaska met today at the university campus to formalize the partnership established by an Intergovernmental Support Agreement in January 2023. UAF Vice Chancellor for Research Dr. Nettie La Belle-Hamer and USAG Alaska Commander Col. Nate Surrey, signatories of the agreement, discussed the many benefits of the IGSA arrangement between the Army and the University. “I am very pleased that the Army recognizes UAF’s scientific and environmental expertise, especially in the circumpolar North,” La Belle-Hamer said. “This agreement provides additional opportunity for UAF employees, many of whom are UAF alumni, and students to apply that expertise across a myriad of environmental programs and disciplines.”

Surrey said, “This 10-year agreement with UAF affords the Garrison’s Environmental Division with much greater flexibility and capacity for managing its work for Fort Wainwright and the 1.6 million acres of Army-managed training lands in Interior Alaska. We couldn’t ask for a better partner in meeting our stewardship responsibilities.”

Environmental services under the agreement may range from surveys of threatened and endangered species, wetlands, and archaeological sites, to natural resource management and water and air quality compliance.

Published Apr 20, 2023

Representative Peltola announced the 15 Community Project Funding (CPF) requests that she will submit to the relevant House Appropriations subcommittees in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 budget cycle.

CPF requests are budget requests submitted by members of the House of Representatives to support specific projects in their districts.

2. Indigenous Studies Center at UAF: Funding for the Troth Yeddha’ Indigenous Studies Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks would provide a gathering place for classes, services, and activities related to this growing field.

Published Apr 19, 2023 by Yvonne Krumrey, KTOO

The University of Alaska Southeast will showcase student work made in the school’s Northwest Coast Art program this Friday.

Earlier in the week, students were making paddles in a basement workshop on campus. Lukwil Gatgyeda T’aamtsooyax James Williams was working away at one for master carver Wayne Price’s class.

“I can’t quite get it to look the way I want it. So I’ve been fiddling around with it. And different designs,” he said.

Several of Price’s beginning carving students were working intently, hunched over their paddles with chisels or paint brushes. No one was chatting.  

Price says they’re almost ready to show their work.

Published Apr 19, 2023 by Peter Asmus

Once viewed as an isolated market with limited lessons to offer global markets, Australia and Alaska have emerged as leading voices in articulating how best to accelerate the transition to a net zero energy economy. While strong differences separate Australia from Alaska, the two jurisdictions share a lot when it comes to the provisions of vital electricity services to remote and isolated communities.

When I engaged on my first investigation of the global microgrid market in 2009, much of the available data on the types of resources deployed in microgrids came from Alaska and Australia.

The source of my data was the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), an R&D lab that has long been involved in developing cutting-edge solutions to energy challenges. Since then data provided by the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) shows that Alaska has more microgrid capacity installed today than any other US state.