Published Mar 5, 2024 by Alaska Native News

U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation Subcommittee, recently secured numerous amendments to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024. The legislation, advanced by the full Senate Commerce Committee, reauthorizes the FAA through 2028 and now proceeds to the Senate floor for consideration.

“Due to Senator Sullivan and his staff’s hard work, programs to improve aviation safety in Alaska are front and center in this bill,” said Dr. Catherine F. Cahill, director of the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). “These programs include the FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative to ‘improve aviation safety, service, and infrastructure,’ programs to improve weather information for Alaskan pilots, the continuation of the FAA’s University of Alaska Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site, and research authorizations to improve the security of airports from drone incursions.”

• The bill reauthorizes the FAA’s drone test ranges through 2028, which will ensure the continued success of the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF).
• The bill ensures that large unmanned aircraft are able to be utilized in research areas established in the Arctic.
• The bill provides a role for the test ranges to be used in FAA testing of counter-UAS technology.

Published Mar 5, 2024 by Alaska Native News

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Monday announced several new staff, fellows, and interns who will serve in her Washington, DC office.

Kit Cunningham joins the office as a Knauss Fellow from the Alaska Sea Grant Program. Kit is from Juneau, Alaska and obtained her undergraduate degree in Biological Conservation and Ecology from Montana State University. She is currently completing her master’s degree in wildlife conservation at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She has held many jobs around Alaska, including guiding, commercial fishing, in the service industry, and more. For the past five years, Kit has worked with Alaska Department of Fish and Game researching multiple species and conducting her graduate work, which centers around marine debris and microplastics in Southeast Alaska.

Troy Bouffard joins the office as Arctic Fellow. Troy has been in Fairbanks, Alaska for 20 years and retired from the U.S. Army in 2010 after 22 years of service. Troy is a PhD Candidate and has a BA in Political Science and an MA in Arctic Policy from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Troy has been with UAF as full-time faculty for 10 years and serves as the director for the UAF Center for Arctic Security and Resilience. Troy has also served with the Arctic Council as a delegate and project member for many years, with continued work on current wildland fire project efforts. Other Arctic efforts include previous work as a defense contractor, project lead for NATO work, work with various national labs, defense, and security work with USNORTHCOM, USEUCOM, ALCOM, and 11th Airborne Division (Arctic) as well as countless speaking events at conferences, media engagements, and numerous publications. Troy has also contributed to numerous Arctic national policies and strategies over the years, including the newest versions.

Published Mar 4, 2024 by Christina McDermott

NUSHWAC's 2024 Beaver Round-Up brought adventure, art and fun to Dillingham last week. The five day celebration highlighted Alaska Native artists, tested '90s trivia knowledge, challenged the community's 'tuffest' fishermen, dialed up the fear factor, brought out community performers at the talent show and lip sync, opened the skate rink, and much more.

Sunday closed out with a ceremony featuring Yup'ik dance performances, raffle prizes and awards, followed by fireworks at the boat harbor.

Check out these snapshots from some of the community events at Beaver Round-Up 2024

Published Mar 4, 2024 by Alexandra Kay

Three exceptional Alaskans are the newest inductees in the Alaska Innovators Hall of Fame. The Alaska State Committee on Research is honoring Tim Collett, Billy Connor, and Christine Resler for their work in hydrocarbons, transportation infrastructure, and innovation itself.

The committee is an advisory board formed within the University of Alaska system to promote “research and development as an enterprise and as an engine for economic development in Alaska.” To further that goal, it established the Alaska Innovators Hall of Fame in 2014, celebrating both individuals and inventions that “contribute to the state’s growing culture of ingenuity.”

Over the past decade, other honorees have included inventors who used spent brewing grains to power a steam boiler, one who invented a self-recording snow-depth probe, a man who created an innovation competition, and more.

• Billy Connor, director of UAF’s Arctic Infrastructure Development Center, was nominated by William Schnabel, dean of the UAF College of Engineering and Mines. In his nomination, Schnabel writes that Connor has a long and storied career in transportation and infrastructure research, particularly in arctic and sub-arctic conditions.
• Christine Resler, the president and CEO of ASRC Energy Services (AES), was nominated by Gwen Holdmann, associate vice chancellor for research, innovation, and industry partnerships at UAF. In her nomination, Holdmann calls Resler “an esteemed visionary and trailblazer within the energy industry.”