Published Mar 19, 2024 by Patrick Gilchrist

Only Rylan Kissell, a former UAF rifle athlete, had ever shot a perfect 600 at college rifle’s biggest stage. That was in 2023. One year later, Kissell now shares the bragging right with Spencer, a freshman from Boise, Idaho.

Spencer’s spotless performance came on the second day of the competition. Her positive showing, along with multiple other 590-plus rounds from her teammates, also pushed the Nanooks toward an outcome of more than bragging rights.

The Nanooks smallbore round on the day before, March 8, didn’t gone according to plan. The NCAA Champions for 2023, UAF found themselves in fourth going into the final day of 2024′s competition, the air rifle round.

“I knew a 600 in air gun was a very doable score for me,” Spencer said.

Proving her precision and accuracy, Spencer and her team’s Saturday air rifle scores lifted them above third-place Kentucky and onto the podium, the Nanooks putting up a composite score of 4,719 to the Wildcats 4,718.

Published Mar 19, 2024 by Alaska Native News

Toolik Field Station has partnered with the new Polar Research Infrastructure Network to boost international collaboration in polar science. 

The project, coordinated by the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, will increase international access to 64 field stations, vessels and other polar research facilities across Europe, the Americas and Antarctica. Researchers from the U.S. will be able to apply for in-person or remote access to complete research at partnering PolarIN sites.

Toolik Field Station, operated and managed by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Arctic Biology, is located in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range, 370 miles from Fairbanks and just off the Dalton Highway.

“This new network will enhance Toolik Field Station’s profile to international researchers and provide opportunities for U.S. researchers to branch out to polar research infrastructures in other nations,” said Syndonia Bret-Harte, a UAF professor and the station’s science co-director. 

Published Mar 19, 2024 by Staff Report

The University of Alaska Fairbanks will award five people with honorary degrees and service awards during the May 4 spring commencement ceremony.

Mead Tredwell, who served as Alaska lieutenant governor from 2010 to 2014 under Gov. Sean Parnell, will be awarded with an honorary Doctor of Science degree, according to a news release from UAF.

Della Sdaahlk’awaás Cheney, an author and “master weaver” will receive an honorary Ph.D. in fine arts from UAF. Cheney has been teaching lessons on weaving for years while also educating others on the importance of environmental stewardship. She is also the author of the book, “Weaving Our World.”

UAF Alumnus Neal Fried is set to be awarded with an honorary Doctor of Law degree. Fried has served the state as an economist with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development for 45 years — often contributing to the organization’s Trends Magazine.

Wildlife biologist Sarah Keller will receive the UAF Meritorious Service Award — a designation given to those who have demonstrated a “significant public, academic, volunteer or philanthropic service to the university or an Alaska community”

Meg Nordale, president of Ghemm Co. — a Fairbanks-based general contracting company — will also receive the Meritorious Service Award. She is chairperson of the of the UA Foundation’s board of directors and also holds a position on the the UAF chancellor’s board of advisors.

Published Mar 19, 2024 by 4 minutes

Melissa Ward Jones, from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, explains the heterogeneity of permafrost conditions and how it can impact agriculture

One farmer describes clearing land and letting it thaw before cultivation to increase the soil’s temperature; another describes needing to allow the field to dry out after land clearing, as it is too wet to access and cultivate for a few seasons. The third describes land sinking and waterlogging that developed in a portion of their field a few years after clearing. Each farmer is describing a response to thawing permafrost.

Overall, permafrost is a unique feature in high-latitude areas like the Arctic and at high elevations in mountainous areas. These areas are warming the fastest, two to four times greater than the global average (Rantanen et al., 2022). This warming is increasing opportunities for agriculture; however, it can also lead to increased rates of thawing permafrost as clearing land exposes permafrost to climate-driven thaw. Therefore, it is critical to develop permafrost-conscious agricultural practices rather than assume techniques developed in southern latitudes will automatically be effective in permafrost-containing regions.

The Permafrost Grown Project, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, is working with farmers in Alaska to understand the interactions and feedbacks between cultivation and permafrost to develop these permafrost-conscious practices. The project is developing guides to aid farmers in understanding and identifying different types of permafrost and offers best practices and management strategies for cultivating permafrost-affected soils. These efforts will help support sustainable agriculture in Alaska and other high-latitude regions.

Published Mar 19, 2024 by Olivia Ebertz, Bathsheba Demuth

One leading Alaska fisheries scientist, however, said he’s skeptical that any new hatcheries on the Yukon will help the struggling chinooks.

If hatcheries could restore river populations without causing more problems for wild fish at sea, they would have reversed the low chinook runs in Washington, Oregon and California by now, said Peter Westley, a biologist and professor of conservation and ecological studies at University of Alaska Fairbanks. 

“It would be working, and it’s not,” he said. “Responding with a hatchery is a Band-Aid on a gushing wound.”

Westley said he is “embarrassed” that state leaders are considering hatcheries on the Yukon. The draft agreement also includes provisions for habitat restoration, which Westley considers a superior goal.

“Should you invest in hatcheries or should you invest in habitat? No brainer: Any effort going to hatcheries should go to habitat restoration and protection,” he said.

Published Mar 19, 2024 by GCI

Following the success of last year’s event, GCI is thrilled to announce the return of the Northern Lights Invitational. The NLI is Alaska’s biggest esports event, and it is exclusive to Alaska residents. This year, GCI is offering an increased prize pool of $25,000 and introducing a newly released game: Counter-Strike 2!

Plus, participants will each be given the opportunity to choose their charity – USO or the UAF Alaska Esports Center – and GCI will donate $10 on their behalf, up to $5,000.

Gaming is not only taking over our screens but also our classrooms. High schools and colleges are diving into esports to spark interest in STEM subjects among students. The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) leads the charge, uniting over 170 schools nationwide, like the University of Alaska Fairbanks, with 5,000+ student-athletes and a whopping $16 million in esports scholarships. And in Alaska’s high schools, esports are a recognized competitive sport by the Alaska School Activities Association. From high school to college, esports offer a platform for student-athletes to shine – just like in traditional sports – while honing their critical thinking and teamwork skills. With the support of institutions like NACE and local associations, gaming isn’t just a pastime—it’s a pathway to success, and GCI is here to support it with the network infrastructure students need to take their skills to the next level.

Published Mar 18, 2024 by KJUD

UAA Chancellor Sean Parnell and Executive Director for University Advancement Tanya Pont talk about Giving Day 2024 in this broadcast news interview.