Brook Gamble
907-474-7812
1/27/12

The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy will host a statewide webinar on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 10 a.m.

Hydrologists, engineers and others use precipitation frequency estimates when designing infrastructure to survive runoff. The new Alaska digital atlas will replace estimates published in early 1960s. Join this webinar to learn more about the data collection, analysis and results of the updated atlas.

For registration, visit ine.uaf.edu/accap and follow the webinar links or call 907-474-7812.

ON THE WEB: http://accap.uaf.edu/teleconference.htm

NW/1-27-12/145-12

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
1/26/12

A $1.6 million software donation to the University of Alaska Fairbanks petroleum engineering department will allow students to learn on the same programs they will use in the workplace.

The gift from Edinburgh-based Petroleum Experts includes 10 copies of a suite of six programs, along with the network license required to run the programs at UAF.

The software allows the oil and gas industry to model oil reservoirs, wells and pipeline networks in an integrated way, according to Shirish Patil, professor of petroleum engineering at UAF. This practice is known as “integrated production modeling, or IPM, within the oil and gas industry.

“The IPM suite models the reservoir, the production and injection wells and the surface gathering system. Multiple reservoirs, naturally and artificially lifted wells, plus single and looped surface pipeline networks can be handled in an integrated way,” Patil said. “UAF petroleum engineering undergraduate and graduate students will be able to use the software in their class projects as well as for their senior capstone design projects, while learning state-of-the-art software.”

Oil companies use models to make production forecasts for existing oilfields and in the development of new fields, Patil said. “For new fields, models may help development by identifying the number of wells required, the optimal completion of wells, the present and future needs for artificial lift, and the expected production of oil, water and gas.”

Petroleum Experts is a petroleum engineering company with offices in Texas, Scotland and China. The company developed the IPM software to improve the efficiency of oil and gas fields. The software is used by more than 350 oil and gas companies.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Aida Rodriguez, Petroleum Experts Inc., at 281-531-1121 or [email protected]. Shirish Patil, UAF petroleum engineering, at 907-474-5127 or [email protected].

MG/1-26-12/143-12

Julie Estey
907-474-1144
1/12/12

The Alaska Center for Energy and Power will host a community lecture on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Blue Loon.

The lecture, “Alaska’s Stranded Renewable Resources”, will give an overview of the state’s renewable resources, such as geothermal, tidal, hydro, solar and biomass, as well as barriers to their development. Speakers will also address how those resources could lead to economic development and strategic advantage for the state.

For more information, visit www.uaf.edu/acep or call 907-474-1144. The lecture is free and open to the public.

ON THE WEB: www.uaf.edu/acep

MG/1-12-12/134psa-12

Brook Gamble
907-474-7812
12/5/11

The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy will host a statewide webinar on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 10 a.m.

Researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Alaska SeaLife Center are developing a citizen-science initiative to collect information on the marine ecosystems of the Chukchi and Bering seas.

The information collected will be publicly available and useful in the development of ecosystem-based fisheries management in Alaska.

For registration, visit ine.uaf.edu/accap and follow the webinar links or call 907-474-7812.

ON THE WEB: http://ine.uaf.edu/accap/teleconference.htm

NW/12-5-11/121-12

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

The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy will host a statewide webinar on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 10 a.m.

Tenaya Sunbury and David Driscoll from the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies will discuss how climate change in arctic regions is affecting human health.

This webinar will describe a newly developed regional monitoring system and how it is used to improve public health decisionmaking.

For registration, visit ine.uaf.edu/accap and follow the webinar links or call 907-474-7812.

MEDIA CONTACT: Brook Gamble, ACCAP outreach and education specialist, at 907-474-7812 or email [email protected].

ON THE WEB: For registration and dial-in instructions, visit http://ine.uaf.edu/accap/teleconference.htm

NW/11-15-11/111-12

Julie Estey
907-474-1144
11/14/11

The Alaska Center for Energy and Power will host a community lecture on Tuesday, Nov. 15th at 6 p.m. at the Blue Loon.

The lecture “Alaska Crude: A Brief History of Oil and Gas in the 49th State” will cover topics ranging from the first oil well in 1902 to the trans-Alaska pipeline to present day oil development.

Lecturer Ross Coen will discuss the political, economic, environmental and social history of Alaska’s oil industry.

For more information visit www.uaf.edu/acep or call 907-474-1144. The lecture is free and open to the public.

ON THE WEB: www.uaf.edu/acep

NW/11-14-11/109psa-12

Rob Harper
907-451-2990
10/28/11

The 2011 Alaska Asphalt Pavement Summit, slated for Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in Anchorage, will bring nearly 300 transportation professionals from around the world to discuss ways to make pavement last longer and cost less in Alaska and other cold regions.

Few places in the United States pose the unique combination of transportation challenges: permafrost, frozen ground, extreme ice and moisture erosion, and rapid surface deterioration due to harsh climates.

Attendees and presenters include highly-specialized state and international specialists:  engineers, planners, researchers and leaders from government, academia and private industry in Alaska, the Lower 48 and countries dealing with similar cold-climate issues.

“This event is about leveraging the diverse expertise of many different fields to try and solve our pavement preservation challenges,” said Billy Connor, director of the Alaska University Transportation Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Northern Engineering.

The event will take place in the third-floor ballroom at the Dena’ina Convention Center in Anchorage from 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday. Oct. 31 and 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1.

Presentations will address topics such as methods of making stronger warm mix asphalt, recycled asphalt applications and the use of thermal imaging on the Seward Highway. Innovations like these are helping improve asphalt in ways that help save money and protect the environment. In Alaska, for example, warm-mix asphalt requires less fuel for production and creates lower emissions than hot-mix.

“Together we can figure out how to make longer-lasting pavement to reduce maintenance costs, and improve safety,” says Angela Parsons, research and development engineer for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

The State of Alaska spends up to $140 million a year on surface maintenance. That figure does not include the money local governments spend on their roads. On average, Alaskans drive up to 4.9 billion miles per year, an average of 7,600 miles per person each year. AUTC studies estimate that every dollar not spent on road maintenance costs the public three dollars due to things like vehicle damage and maintenance, insurance claims and increased premiums, and wasted gas from congestion.

“With asphalt in Alaska, the dollar you spend today on maintenance is ten dollars you will save down the road on repairs, replacement, or safety issues,” said Mike Coffey, statewide maintenance and operations chief for DOT&PF.

The summit’s primary sponsors are the Alaska University Transportation Center and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

An event agenda is available online at http://bit.ly/AUTCpavement.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Mike Coffey, DOT&PF statewide maintenance and operations chief, 907-465-3904, 907-978-9039 or [email protected]. Billy Connor, AUTC director, 907 474-5552, 907-460-0061 or [email protected]. Angela Parsons, DOT&PF research and development engineer, 907-269-6208, 907-350-6997 or [email protected]

ON THE WEB: http://ine.uaf.edu/autc/

NOTE TO EDITORS: On-site interviews with presenters and/or attendees can be prearranged by contacting Rob Harper at 907-451-2990 or via mobile phone at 406-249-7672. The event is open to both the public and any interested media.

RH/10-28-11/098-12

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
10/24/11

University of Alaska Fairbanks computer science students are now accepting proposals for software design projects for class.

The projects allow students to gain real-world experience while local government, public service and private organizations gain software free of charge. Typical prices for commercial custom software development projects done annually by UAF students can be up to $40,000. The projects often require more than 650 hours of development per team of three to five students.

Students have developed more than 65 successful projects over the last two decades. In previous years, students have created software for organizations like Love INC, Fairbanks North Star Borough, City of North Pole, Bureau of Land Management, Fairbanks Taxi, University of Alaska Museum of the North, and the National Weather Service.

Each completed project has presented student teams with a new set of challenges. Project clients are partners in the educational process by working with students to clarify requirements and being involved in the evaluation of the student project outcomes.

Review of submissions will begin Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. The final deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. Submissions can be made by email to [email protected] or by regular mail to: Department of Computer Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 756670, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6670. Proposals should include a basic description of your organization’s needs and contact information. Direct phone inquiries to 907-474-2777.

MG/10-24-11/092-12

UAF photo by Maureen McCombs
Mining and geological engineering department chair Rajive Ganguli (left), College of Engineering and Mines Dean Doug Goering (second from right), and Chancellor Brian Rogers (far right) thank Chris Kennedy (left center) and Toshihito Toyoshima (right center) of Sumitomo Pogo Joint Venture for their gift to UAF Thursday, Sept. 15 at the Rotary Club of Fairbanks meeting at the Westmark Hotel in Fairbanks.

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

Brook Gamble
907-474-7812
9/9/11

The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy will host a statewide webinar Tuesday, Sept.13 at 10 a.m.

The webinar will offer information about how the climate affects Alaska fisheries. Marine biologist Mike Sigler will focus on an ecosystem study of the Bering Sea that aims to understand and forecast changes in the food web.

The largest U.S. commercial fishery in the United States is located in the Bering Sea. Pollock quotas recently fell during a run of warm years, only to be follower by an increase during cold years.

For registration, visit ine.uaf.edu/accap and follow the webinar links or call 907-474-7812.

ON THE WEB: For registration and dial-in instructions, visit http://ine.uaf.edu/accap/teleconference.htm

NW/9-9-2011/060-12