Michelle Renfrew
907-455-2833
9/16/11

A $4 million equipment donation from BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. has made the University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College one of only a few programs in the nation to offer a working wellhead in a classroom environment.

“The wellhead and equipment gives students in our process technology program the opportunity to train on the same equipment in a classroom environment they will encounter in the field,” said Brian Ellingson, coordinator for the CTC process technology program. “It gives process technology and engineering students the ability to learn crucial safety standards and procedures that will make them smarter, safer, and more efficient operators at oil and gas production facilities.”

“This wellhead and process technology equipment will provide hands-on experience for UAF engineering and process technology students. Training and hiring qualified Alaskans is critical to our business and we believe this investment will help the excellent program at UAF be even better.” said John Mingé, President BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.

The majority of the equipment came from the former BP Gas to Liquids plant in Kenai.  Ellingson said the miscellaneous equipment made its way to Fairbanks over a span of several months, beginning last November. The refurbished wellhead, which had been fully operational on Alaska’s North Slope, arrived in Fairbanks in July.

The wellhead is the only working model located in a classroom environment in Alaska and one of only a few in the country. It functions as a wellhead does in the field, with production flow out and gas injection capabilities. Pressures have been reduced for safety precautions in a classroom environment.

“Our longtime partnership with BP Alaska has impacted almost every area of the university,” said UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers. “This generous gift to the Community and Technical College will ensure our students have the tools and training they need to enter a successful career after graduation and clearly demonstrates BP’s commitment to the future of this industry and to the quality education of Alaska’s workforce.”

The process technology program at UAF’s Community and Technical College offers a two-year associate degree that prepares graduates for employment in the areas of oil and gas production, mining and milling, transportation, refining, utilities, wastewater treatment and facilities maintenance. In addition, the program offers one-year certificates in power generation, safety, health and environmental awareness, and instrumentation technology.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Brian Ellingson, process technology program coordinator, at 907-455-2898 or via email at [email protected]. Steve Rinehart, BP press office, 907-564-5668.

ON THE WEB: www.ctc.uaf.edu/programs/protech/index.htm

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos are available online at www.uafnews.com.

MR/9-16-11/066-12

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
9/15/11

The University of Alaska Fairbanks and Sumitomo Pogo Mine today announced a gift to support graduate student research in mining engineering at UAF.

The three-year, $1 million endowment from Sumitomo Pogo Joint Venture will provide a steady source of research funding for mining engineers seeking advanced training through graduate degrees.

The U.S. Bureau of Mines, which was closed in the mid-1990s, used to provide federal funding for mining research. Since its closure, funding for masters- and doctorate-level training has been in short supply, said Rajive Ganguli, chairman of the mining and geological engineering department at UAF.

“Besides strengthening the mining engineering program, the endowment will result in more mining engineers with advanced training,” he said. “If Alaska is to fully realize the potential of its mineral wealth, it will need the mining engineers, with their advanced skills for finding solutions to Alaska problems.”

The mining engineering program was one of the first at UAF, which was founded in 1917 as the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines. Since then, the university has served as a training ground for mining engineers for companies throughout the state, as well as the nation and world. As part of that mission, UAF has formed partnerships with companies like Pogo Mine. The company has been an active partner in the student-run Silver Fox mine, donating ground control supplies and personal protective equipment, and has hired several graduates of the mining and geological engineering program.

“The mining industry constantly struggles with finding knowledgeable, talented and experienced employees,” said Chris Kennedy, Sumitomo Pogo general manager. “Pogo has several engineers working on site who have attending the UAF engineering program and, with time spent in the field, are now some of Pogo’s shining stars because of the knowledge and training they gained at UAF.”

Kennedy said UAF’s engineering program is vital to the continued health of the mining industry. That made the endowment a good investment.

“UAF provides the opportunity for students to be successful in the industry and that is important to Sumitomo and Pogo,” he said. “These funds will help sustain the program and that is the right thing to do to further strengthen the industry.”

Pogo is an underground mine located about 38 miles northeast of Delta Junction near the Goodpaster River. The deposit was discovered in 1994 and the mine began operation in 2005 and runs about 2,500 tons of material a day. The mine steadily provides jobs for nearly 400 employees and contractors.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Chris Kennedy, Sumitomo Pogo general manager, at 907-895-2834 or [email protected]. Rajive Ganguli, mining and geological engineering department chairman, at 907-474-7212 or [email protected]. Doug Goering, College of Engineering and Mines dean, at 907-474-7730 or [email protected].

NOTE TO EDITORS: A photo from the gift announcement will be available online at www.uafnews.com.

MG/9-15-11/064-12

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
8/16/11

The University of Alaska Fairbanks and Kinross Fort Knox today announced a gift to support graduate student research in mining engineering at UAF.

The $1 million engineering research endowment will allow UAF to provide advanced training for mining engineers by establishing a steady source of research funding.

“The endowment provides an important step toward replacing the efforts formerly led by the federal Bureau of Mines,” said Lauren Roberts, Kinross Gold regional vice president of North America. “UAF is conducting research and making gains in important areas that will pay dividends for the industry, Alaska and Fort Knox.”

The U.S. Bureau of Mines, which was closed in the mid-1990s, used to provide federal funding for mining research. Since its closure, finding funding for masters- and doctorate-level training has been a challenge, said Rajive Ganguli, chairman of the mining and geological engineering department at UAF.

“Alaska has minerals not just in its past, but also in its future. Realization of the full potential of our mineral resources requires both highly trained engineers and insight into our unique technical challenges,” Ganguli said. “This gift helps Alaska on both of these aspects: The monies will not only result in advanced training of the next generation of mining engineers, but will also help find solutions to our technical problems.”

The mining engineering program was one of the first at UAF, which was founded in 1917 as the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines. Since then, the university has served as a training ground for mining engineers for companies throughout the state, as well as the nation and world. As part of that mission, UAF has formed partnerships with mining companies like Kinross, which provides students access to high-caliber mentors and internship and job opportunities in the Fairbanks community. In addition, UAF students and faculty members regularly collaborate with Fort Knox on research projects and Fort Knox employees volunteer as members of advisory boards at UAF.

“UAF prides itself on working closely with industry to produce the type of engineering graduate who can be effective right out of college. We couldn’t do that without active partnerships like the one we have with Kinross,” said Doug Goering, dean of the UAF College of Engineering and Mines. “As we go forward, the technical challenges associated with developing the state’s mineral resources are only getting more complex. The support Kinross is providing will help us understand those challenges better and provide training aimed at advancing all aspects of mining in Alaska.”

Ganguli said the donation shows Kinross’ strong commitment to Alaska and the local community.

“They have shown faith in our ability to train engineers and solve difficult problems,” he said. “We will get better and stronger as a result of their generosity.”

Kinross’ partnership with UAF has been beneficial to the company as well, Roberts said.

“Kinross is pleased to operate in a region with such a strong mining engineering program at the local university,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate enough to attract UAF graduates and have also appreciated the opportunity to help our existing employees develop their skills through higher education at UAF.”

Kinross Gold Corporation is a Canada-based gold mining company with mines and projects in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Ghana, Mauritania, Russia and the United States and employs approximately 7,500 people worldwide. The Kinross Fort Knox mine, located 25 miles northeast of Fairbanks, began commercial production in 1997. In 2011 the site poured its five-millionth ounce of gold. The mine employs more than 500 local residents.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Lorna Shaw, Fort Knox community and government relations manager, 907-490-2218 or [email protected]. Rajive Ganguli, mining engineering department chairman, at 907-474-7212 or [email protected]. Doug Goering, College of Engineering and Mines dean, at 907-474-7730 or [email protected].

NOTE TO EDITORS: A photo from the gift announcement will be available online at www.uafnews.com.

MG/8-16-11/037-12

Jenn Wagaman
907-474-5082
5/13/11

The 2011 Campus Research Day took place on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus on May 5. UAF students from diverse fields of study participated in poster sessions and an undergraduate research symposium. Winners follow:

Undergraduate poster awards:
• First place: Tyler Payment, “Underground Salt Cavern Sonar Logging Tool.” Mentor: Rorik Peterson.
• Second place: Patrick Millard and Rijo Simon, “Mobile Device Application and Media Transmission Technology for Alaska’s Digitally Integrated Guide.” Mentor: Greg Newby.
• Third place: Shaina Bhojwani “Tissue Distribution of Mercury in Alaskan Sculpin Species.” Mentor: Todd O’Hara.
Graduate poster awards:
• First place: Jill Shipman, “Rapid Modal Analysis and Whole-Rock Geochemistry of the 1956-Present Eruptive Products of Bezymianny Volcano, Kamchatka, Russia.” Mentor: Pavel Izbekov.
• Second place: Jean Talbot, “Effect of Pacific Decadal Oscillation on the Long Term Dynamics of Arctic Climate Time Series.” Mentor: Uma Bhatt.
• Third place: Tania Spurkland, “Salinity and Irradiance Effects on Growth and Maximum Quantum Yield of Photosynthesis of Sub-Arctic Kelp (Saccharina latissima).” Mentor: Katrin Iken.
Undergraduate research symposium
• First place: Kayla Harrison, “A High-Resolution WRF Simulation of a Post-frontal Topographically Enhanced Wind Shear Event at Juneau International Airport.” Mentor: Don Morton.
• Second place: Kathleen Gerdes, “A Serosurvey of Avian Influenza in Passerine Birds.” Mentor: Jon Runstadler.
• Third place: Mindona Krzykowski, “Identifying and Characterizing VXB Events on the Lunar Surface from the Suprathermal Ion Detector Experiment (SIDE) That Was Part of Apollo 14 Mission.” Mentor: Channon Price.
• Fourth place: Sara Day Evridge, “Childhood in Gold Rush Alaska: Children’s Influence on Alaskan Settlement.” Mentor: John Heaton.
• Fifth place: Ali Amhaz-Strickland, “Hizbullah: A State-Within-A-State.” Mentor: Pia Kohler.
Honorable mentions:
• Rachel DeWilde, “Analyzing Dallia pectoralis Population Genetics Using Microsatellites.” Mentor: Matthew Campbell.
• Courtney Nichols, “Contrasting Patterns of Molecular Evolution in Euteleost Fishes.” Mentor: Andres Lopez.
• Jonathan Nolin, “Hybrid Photovoltaic’s and Improving Efficiency.” Mentor: Shiva Hullavarad.
• Kyoko Okano, “Effects of Warming and Neighboring Interactions on Establishment and Growth of White Spruce [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss].” Mentor: Sydonia Bret-Harte.
• Susan M. Smith, “History of the Mental Health Peer Support Movement in Alaska.” Mentor: Cynthia Hardy.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Marmian Grimes, UAF public information officer, at 907-474-7902 or via e-mail at [email protected].

JW/5-13-11/232-11

Carin Stephens
907-322-8730
5/4/11

Catherine Chambers, a doctoral student in the University of Alaska Fairbanks fisheries program, has received a Fulbright scholarship to study northern fishing communities and how they adapt to change.

Chambers will study in Iceland from September 2011 to May 2012. She will compare how people involved in fishing in both Kodiak and Iceland experience environmental, social, economic and political change.

“Catherine is a highly qualified student and engaged citizen poised to make a significant contribution to interdisciplinary and international fisheries social science and resource management,” said assistant fisheries professor Courtney Carothers, Chambers’ advisor.

Chambers began her doctoral studies at UAF in 2009 as one of only four graduate fellows in the interdisciplinary Marine Ecosystem Sustainability in the Arctic and Subarctic program. The MESAS program is a National Science Foundation-funded Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program, also known as an IGERT.

The Fulbright Program was founded by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946 and is a highly competitive, merit-based grants program for international educational exchange. Forty-three Fulbright alumni have won Nobel Prizes and 78 have won Pulitzer Prizes. According to the Fulbright Program website, more Nobel laureates have received Fulbright awards than any other award program.

About SFOS

The School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences conducts world-class marine and fisheries research, education and outreach across Alaska, the Arctic and Antarctic. 60 faculty scientists and 150 students are engaged in building knowledge about Alaska and the world’s coastal and marine ecosystems. SFOS is headquartered at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and serves the state from facilities located in Seward, Juneau, Anchorage and Kodiak.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Catherine Chambers at 907-474-5863 or [email protected]. Courtney Carothers, assistant professor of fisheries, 907-474-5329 or [email protected].

ON THE WEB: www.sfos.uaf.edu
CS/5-4-11/222-11

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
4/3/11

The University of Alaska Fairbanks has announced recipients of the 2011 Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching, Research and Public Service Awards.

Gregory Owens, associate professor of mathematics in the College of Rural and Community Development, received the teaching award; Vladimir Romanovsky, professor of geophysics in the College of Natural Science and Mathematics and the Geophysical Institute, received the research award; and Roger Hansen, research professor at the Geophysical Institute and state seismologist and director at the Alaska Earthquake Information Center, received the service award. All three were honored at a reception Monday at the UA Museum of the North.

Owens first joined UAF in 1987 as a developmental math instructor at Student Support Services. He is known for both the high expectations he has for his students and his unwavering support of them. Throughout his career, he has refined his teaching techniques to better serve his students and address their individual learning needs. The developmental math course he created has allowed dozens of students to receive credit-by-exam for a 100-level core math class. His work with these students has been so successful that the math department adopted some of his teaching strategies for the Math 107 course. In addition, he has been an instructor with UAF’s Rural Alaska Honors Institute, a summer college preparatory program for rural high school students, for more than two decades.

“It is his calling and his passion and the students who have benefited from his excellent skills and dedication are now contributing to engineering firms, businesses, schools, tribal organizations and other roles in small and large communities across the state and beyond,” said Sue McHenry, who nominated Owens. “Because he consistently challenges students to stretch themselves past what they may feel their limits are, he teaches more than mathematics, and he impacts how his students view themselves and even how they challenge their children to set goals.”

His skills as an educator are well documented in more than a dozen letters from former students. They cite not only his effectiveness in teaching mathematical concepts, but also his profound effect on their self-confidence, academically, professionally and personally.

“Throughout it all, I have never lost sight of my primary task,” Owens said. “I’m still striving to improve the success rates of students in my classes and their subsequent math courses, because the goal of developmental education is to prepare a capable and diligent lifetime student.”

Owens holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and a master’s degree in cross-cultural education from UAF.

Romanovsky is among the world leaders in permafrost research. He is consistently sought out as an expert in who can explain complicated concepts to both the public and media and is a frequent collaborator with colleagues in a variety of disciplines.

He began his career in 1975 at Moscow State University. In 1992, he came to UAF as a research assistant at the Geophysical Institute.

His research and collaborative work monitoring permafrost in northern latitudes has provided an important record of change in the Arctic and subarctic and has added to worldwide understanding of climate change. His work also offers valuable contributions to the state.

“The progressive destabilization of some soils, besides directly documenting change in mean annual air temperature, will have dramatic effects on the man-made infrastructure of the Interior,” wrote geology and geophysics department chairman Bernard Oakley in his nomination letter. “Vlad’s work contributes directly to our ability to plan and effectively remediate effects on roads and buildings that are being compromised by the changing climate and plan future construction to minimize these impacts.”

As part of his research work during the last five years, Romanovsky has mentored 22 students and nine postdoctoral researchers and has been listed on more the $10 million in research grants, many of them with an interdisciplinary focus. He also teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses and incorporates his interdisciplinary philosophy into his teaching and service work.

“We are actively collaborating with biologists, soil scientists, hydrologists, biogeochemists, marine scientists, remote sensing scientists and others to promote the system science approach in developing a better understanding of the Arctic,” Romanovsky said.

Romanovsky holds master’s degrees in mathematics and geophysics and a doctorate in geology from Moscow State University and a doctorate in geophysics from UAF.

Hansen is credited as one of the driving forces behind improved earthquake reporting in Alaska. He began his career in the 1970s and served in a variety of positions at public and private organizations in the U.S. and Norway. He came to UAF in 1994.

“At the time, there was little effort made to report information outside the research community,” Hansen said, noting that current practice is quite different. “Response agencies receive critical information about damaging earthquakes in minutes, if not second, via web pages, email, text messages, and fax and telephone. Additionally, using our tsunami modeling capabilities, we are distributing information for the development of evacuation routes and safe zones throughout Alaska’s vulnerable coastal communities.”

Hansen’s outreach and public information efforts cover a wide swath of the population, from public and school tours of his facility, to informational pamphlets and electronic media, to teacher education, to public lectures and media interviews. He serves on multiple public emergency-planning and hazard-mitigation committees and is frequently consulted as an expert in his field. In addition to his public service, he is active on a variety of university committees, all while continuing his own research activities and mentoring graduate students.

Alaska’s seismic observatory is the busiest in the nation, said Geophysical Institute director Roger Smith, who nominated Hansen for the award.

“The measures of success of the observatory are precision of the data, the accuracy of calculations and reliability of the reports,” Smith said. “Under the leadership of Dr. Roger Hansen, the Alaska Earthquake Information Center strives for excellence in these areas and provides outstanding service to the state, nation and the seismological profession.”

Hansen holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of California, Berkeley.

The Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching, Research and Public Service Awards are considered one of the university’s most prestigious awards. They represent UAF’s tripartite mission and are funded annually from a $600,000 endowment established by Usibelli Coal Mine in 1992.

Each year, a committee that includes members from the faculty, the student body and a member of the UA Foundation Board of Trustees evaluates the nominees. Each of the winners receives a cash award of $10,000.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos of the recipients are available online at www.uafnews.com.

MG/5-3-11/220-11

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902

4/28/11

Dozens of students will be honored at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ annual student awards breakfast Saturday, April 30 at 9:30 a.m. in the Wood Center Carol Brown Ballroom. Each spring, UAF honors students who have distinguished themselves throughout their academic careers.

Among those honored will be the winners of the Marion Frances Boswell Memorial Award, the Gray S. Tilly Memorial Award and the Joel Wiegert Award. The awards recognize the accomplishments of three top graduating seniors each year.

Ashton Compton is the recipient of the 2011 Marion Frances Boswell Memorial Award. She graduates in May with a degree in political science. Her time at UAF has been marked by work as a student leader and campus/community volunteer. She is a UA Scholar and a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Golden Key International Honor Society. She has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, Alternative Spring Break, and the Youth Service Opportunity Program. Compton just finished serving a two-year term as the student representative on the University of Alaska Board of Regents and has been lauded for her effectiveness in the position. She is also involved in politics. Compton volunteered for several state political campaigns and spent three sessions working for the Alaska State Legislature as an Assistant Sergeant at Arms. “The Marion Frances Boswell Award would be a crowning and appropriate final recognition of Ashton’s academic achievements and extraordinary service to UAF and the community,” said faculty member Jonathan Rosenberg. “She exemplifies the committed student who looks for ways to apply her education to the real world challenges and in the process raises the reputation of UAF, both locally and nationally.”

Each year a nontraditional student is presented with the Gary S. Tilly Memorial Award. The 2011 award goes to Amy K. Snider. A first generation college student, Amy graduated in December 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Her journey to UAF began in 2005 when she was working at the university as a night custodian, a job she had to quit after suffering a neck injury. Unsure of what to do next, Snider was inspired to enroll at the university by then Chancellor Steve Jones and Provost Paul Reichardt, whom she met while cleaning the offices on the third floor of Signers’ Hall. In 2006, at age 24, she was accepted as a general studies student. Despite setbacks, including a serious car accident and homelessness, Snider persevered through her academic journey. She eventually earned enough credits to apply to the political science program, where she flourished. She has been an active volunteer and leader for several campus clubs and activities and won numerous local and national scholarships and awards. “I meet many students who have a passion to change the world, save the environment, and/or promote social justice,” said faculty member Patricia Heiser. “Few of them, if any, are the dedicated, hard-working and truly outstanding performers that Amy is. There should be more Amy’s at UAF in the world!”

Jonathan Dillon is the recipient of the 2011 Joel Wiegert Award. He graduates in May 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in music education. When he finishes his student teaching this spring, he will have completed a total of 169 credits in four years, an average of 21 credits per semester. This is on top of holding several campus jobs, including two years as a resident assistant, as well as involvement in numerous campus clubs and service organizations. He has also been involved with activities off campus, most recently serving as assistant music director of the North Pole High School production of “Footloose.” Dillon served as president of the UAF Collegiate Music Educators National Conference chapter and received the National Professional Achievement Recognition award from the CMENC headquarters in Virginia. “Jonathan Dillon is a fine example of the very best students at UAF,” said faculty member Channon Price. “He has earned academic distinction while challenging himself above and beyond the curriculum. He has made those around him better, leading by selfless example.”

Following is a list of other award winners to be honored at the event:

Special awards
Mariya Pavlovskaya, Scholar Athlete
Kevin Petovello, Scholar Athlete
Latrice Laughlin, ASUAF Award for Outstanding Faculty
Ester Commack, ASUAF Award for Outstanding Staff
Ashton Compton, Marion Frances Boswell Memorial Award, Outstanding Graduating Senior Woman
Jonathan Dillon, Joel Wiegert Award, Outstanding Graduating Senior Man
Amy Snider, Gray S. Tilly Memorial Award, Outstanding Graduating Non-Traditional Senior

Department student award winners
Joel Forbes, Alaska Native Languages
Carly Varness, Anthropology
Rebecka Menzel Delcastillo, Art
Elizabeth Wallace, Communication
Cody Klingman, English
Travis Majdic, Foreign Languages
Ashley Paris, History
Hollie Seiler, Journalism
Christy Gentemann, Justice
Franz Felkl, Music
Lisbet Skogen Norris, Northern Studies
Jay Leonard, Philosophy
Ali Amhaz-Strickland, Political Science
Christopher DeCou, Psychology
Danielle LaFon, Social Work
Melissa Dawson, Sociology
Hadassah Nelson, Theatre
Danielle Hubbard, Women’s Studies
Amy Barnes, Elementary Education
Uinniq Ahgeak, Fisheries
Jennifer Holland, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Nicklas Bywater, Computer Science
Alexander Morris, Electrical Engineering
David Jensen, Geological Engineering
Michael Nash, Mechanical Engineering
Michael Lehman, Mining Engineering
Stephanie Pilch, Petroleum Engineering
Amy Facklam, Accounting
Anne Vance, Business Administration
Nicole Heiter, Economics
Paul Miranda, Emergency Management
Cassie Wohlgemuth, Forest Sciences
Lorna Curran, Geography
Nicole Torre, High Latitude Agriculture
Teslyn Visscher, Resources Management
Sondra Shaginoff-Stuart, Alaska Native Studies
Melanie Noden, Bristol Bay Campus
Ariana Walker, Chukchi Campus
Renee Pike, Developmental Education
Ryan Abraham, Kuskokwim Campus
Darla Tocktoo , Northwest Campus
Kathryn Martin, Rural Development
Karin Stark, Allied Health Medical Assisting
Hannah Preuss, Applied Accounting
Farra Smith, Applied Business
David Snyderman, Aviation Airframe & Powerplant
Andrew Pagel, Construction Management/Drafting Technology
James Ian Pearce, Culinary Arts
Elisabeth Folger, Drafting Technology
Timothy Agee, Early Childhood Education
Alicia Alexander, Fire Science
Gail Denning, Human Service Technology
Jay Ranson, Instrumentation
Robert Schetky, Information Technology Specialist
Tracy Packee, Paralegal Studies
Joshua Fritts, Paramedic Program
Luke Morrall, Power Generation
Jenna Stevens, Process Technology
Vernon Owens, Safety, Health and Environmental Awareness
Mark Gilbertson, Biological Sciences
Talal Ahmed, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Sara Boaz, General Science
Riley Hall, Geology & Geophysics
Wenqian Wang, Mathematics
Kit Dawson, Physics
Lindsay VanSomeren, Wildlife Biology

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos of Dillon, Snider and Compton, along with a complete list of student award winners, is posted online at www.uafnews.com. If a student or department is not listed, it may be that the outstanding student for that department has a confidential hold on his or her academic record.

SJM/4-28-11/216-11

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
4/5/11

The University of Alaska Fairbanks and ConocoPhillips Alaska today announced a gift to support engineering education and research at UAF.

The $500,000 ConocoPhillips UAF Engineering Endowment will support students in the UAF College of Engineering and Mines by augmenting engineering laboratories, increasing the availability of academic support services and building undergraduate research opportunities.

“This grant continues our tradition of investing in quality training and education opportunities in Alaska,” said Trond-Erik Johansen, president of ConocoPhillips Alaska. “Our company is investing in UAF’s engineering programs to create the workforce our state will need in the future. We hope that funding these programs at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will encourage students to stay in Alaska, work in Alaska and bring their skills, technology and innovation to the state.”

UAF has been educating engineering students since 1922. ConocoPhillips has a longtime association with the UAF College of Engineering and Mines. The company offers internships to students and many of those students move on to full-time positions when they graduate. Company representatives and alumni serve on the school’s advisory board and give back to the school as volunteers and mentors. In addition, the university and ConocoPhillips have a longstanding tradition of research collaboration.

“We look forward to continuing that partnership and working together to develop the human capital needed to advance Alaska’s oil and gas industry and the state’s economy,” said Doug Goering, dean of the UAF College of Engineering and Mines. “This gift will help train tomorrow’s engineers and advance our knowledge base in arctic oil and gas development. By working together, we hope to help keep Alaska’s oil and gas industry healthy and viable for many years to come.”

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Natalie Lowman, ConocoPhillips Alaska communications director, at 907-263-4153 or [email protected]. Doug Goering, College of Engineering and Mines dean, at 907-474-7730 or [email protected].

MG/4-5-11/192-11

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
1/11/11

Residents of the University Fire Service Area may see a reduction in insurance rates thanks to a marked improvement in the University Fire Department’s classification by the Insurance Services Office.

Beginning April 1, all areas in the University Fire Service Area that are within five miles of a fire station and beyond 1,000 feet from a fire hydrant will have a Class 3 rating. Previously, such areas had a rating of Class 8.

“This shows a major improvement in fire protection capabilities and may be reflected in reduced fire insurance rates,” said Fire Chief Doug Schrage.

All areas within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant will continue to have a Class 2 rating.

The classification system uses a scale of 1 to 10. Class 1 is the maximum fire protection available and a Class 10 designates no recognized fire protection. The Insurance Services Office rates a community’s fire protection and provides this information to insurance companies. Insurers independently set their own premiums but, according to the ISO, most use the classification as part of their decisionmaking.

Of the more than 48,000 communities rated by the ISO, about four percent have a Class 3 rating and one percent have a Class 2 rating. In Alaska, the University Fire Department is one of five Class 3 fire departments and one of two Class 2 fire departments. The University Fire Department’s new classification is based on a survey conducted in August 2010.

“This improved rating reflects the investment of 18,000 University Fire Service Area taxpayers, as well as the support of the University of Alaska and the cooperation of the Fairbanks North Star Borough and Utilities Services of Alaska,” Schrage said. “We wish to especially thank our neighboring fire department colleagues for their roles in this achievement. Fire protection in the Interior is a collaborative effort that relies on the interdependence of all area fire departments. They share in this recognition.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Doug Schrage, UFD chief, at 907-474-7681 or [email protected].

MG/4-1-11/189-11

Theresa Bakker
907-474-6941
3/4/11

 

A recent donation to the University of Alaska Museum of the North’s ethnology collection chronicles a family’s connection to the village of Point Hope back to the early part of last century.

Collection manager Angela Linn can offer bits of information about each of them. The sewing kit has a sealskin leather needle case that threads through an ivory tube; the scrapers dangling from the end were made with jade or chert, a flint-like rock. The sealskin boots with bearded seal bottoms and sheepskin liners are probably from the 1980s. The sealskin scabbard possibly served as a quiver, but more likely sheathed a rifle.

The items come from the personal collection of Steve Thomas, the former host of PBS’ “This Old House.” His grandfather, the Rev. William Thomas, served as a missionary in Point Hope from 1914 until 1926, where he purchased the pieces or received them as gifts. Steve Thomas recently donated the items to the museum.

“This is our first donation from a high profile person from outside the world of anthropology who just happened to have a historic collection important to Alaska,” Linn said.

The Rev. William Thomas was a protégé of Hudson Stuck, the Episcopalian archdeacon who defended the rights of Alaska Natives and helped organize the first successful ascent of Mount McKinley in 1913. Thomas forged a lasting connection with the community, something his grandson discovered when he visited himself.

“I showed up in Point Hope unannounced in the early 1980s to see if someone would take me whaling,” Steve Thomas said. “There I was, walking to town after everybody else had been picked up by friends and relatives when the guy who handled the baggage gave me a ride.”

Their conversation quickly turned to the reason Thomas had decided to visit Point Hope.  Thomas mentioned his grandfather’s service as a missionary and his friendship with one family in particular, so he was taken to their home.

“As soon as I pulled out the pictures, they said, ‘You have to stay with us! We’re brothers,’” he said.

Photographs make up the bulk of the Thomas collection, so the donation started with Peggy Asbury, the acting archivist at the Alaska and Polar Regions Collection at the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library at UAF.

“What we have are journals and correspondence, along with lots and lots of photographs,” Asbury said. “That’s three cubic feet of material to be processed.”

Asbury recommended that the remaining items be given to the museum. Linn knew the collection was something special after her analysis led to a connection with Knud Rasmussen’s fifth Thule Expedition.

 

“Rasmussen was a Greenlandic Inuit speaker who launched a major expedition and was the first to make a cultural connection among the peoples of the Arctic,” she said. “He noted in his writings that William Thomas welcomed the group to Point Hope in 1925. I love finding nuggets of information like that.”

Asbury agreed that the collection is an important one.

“Not only does it document life from 1914 to 1926, it documents life at Point Hope, Alaska and the different churches that had an impact on that region, missionaries in general and Hudson Stuck,” she said. “For any archivist, the goal is to have research materials in a place that makes sense for people to look.”

Linn will continue to work with the collection, identifying and labeling each item. Eventually people from all over the world will be able to learn something from Steve’s grandfather, the way he already has.

“He died when I was about six, but I have strong memories of him,” said Thomas. “I’ve been able to uncover layer after layer of this rich history and connection that my family had with Point Hope, represented by these photographs and artifacts.”

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Angela Linn, museum ethnology collection manager, 907-474-1828, [email protected].

ON THE WEB: museum.uaf.edu

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