Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
1/20/12
Download full schedule
The University of Alaska Fairbanks financial aid office is offering a full day of free seminars to increase financial literacy among current and future university students.

Financial Sense Day will take place Wednesday, Feb. 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Wood Center on the UAF campus. It will include workshops and seminars designed to help students pay for school, create a budget, file for taxes and deal with other financial responsibilities. There will also be two evening sessions at the UAF Community and Technical College in downtown Fairbanks: “Paying for College” at 6 p.m. and “Discover You Money Personality” at 7 p.m. All seminars are free and open to the public.

Sessions begin at 9 a.m. There are four sessions during the day with several to choose from each hour. Some panels are offered more than once. This is the third year the financial aid office has held the event.

9 a.m. panels include: “Living on Less,” “Money Skills,” “Money Management Tools”

10:15 a.m. panels include: “Paying for College,” “Understanding Personal Finance”

11:30 a.m. panels include: “Writing a Scholarship Essay,” “Getting Out of Debt”

12:45 p.m. panels include: “Money Realities,” “Tax Filing”

From noon – 2 p.m., financial aid experts will also be on hand to help students complete financial aid applications and the FAFSA. The computer lab at CTC will be open from 6 – 8 p.m. for the same purpose.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT:  Ashley Munro at 907-474-1934 or via email at [email protected].

ON THE WEB: http://www.uaf.edu/finaid/

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Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
12/23/11
Download a PDF of the event map
The community is invited to visit the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus on New Year’s Eve for the Fairbanks Curling Lions 22nd annual Sparktacular Celebration. Fireworks will be launched from UAF’s West Ridge Saturday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m.

University fire and police departments will provide logistical support for the event and will close roads and ski trails near the staging area at 7:30 p.m.

>Both Thompson Drive and West Tanana Drive will be open to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The UAF Police Department is also encouraging drivers to turn right as they exit campus parking lots after the event. Visit www.uafnews.com for a complete map of open and closed areas. Watch for signs and emergency personnel on the day of the event for additional guidance.

The University of Alaska Museum of the North will serve free hot cocoa and cookies, while supplies last. The museum galleries will be open to the public at no charge from 7-9 p.m.

Alaska Railroad trains travel through the area between 7:30 and 9 p.m. Alaska Railroad officials request that spectators, both pedestrian and those on snowmachines, remain clear of the railroad tracks for safety reasons.

The Sparktacular event is organized by Mike Thomas, owner of University Chevron, and is sponsored by the following Fairbanks community groups and businesses:

• Midnight Sun Lions
• University Chevron
• NAPA Auto Parts
• Gas & Diesel Doctor
• Fairbanks Youth Sports
• Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
• Dunlap Insurance Agency
• Carl’s Jr.
• Sourdough Fuel and Petro Star
• Mt. McKinley Bank
• Tanana Valley Television Fox 7/CBS 13
• Sani-Can of Fairbanks
• Interior Towing and Salvage
• Interior NAPA AutoCare Centers
• University of Alaska Fairbanks
• The Hair’em

NOTE TO EDITORS: A downloadable map is available in JPEG format at www.uafnews.com.

NW/12-23-11/129-12

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
12/22/11

The family of a recent University of Alaska Fairbanks graduate has donated a tract of land that will provide an endowment to support three research and academic programs at UAF.

Dr. Jeffrey and Jo Zuckerman this week signed paperwork to donate a 50-acre parcel of land in Wilshire Glenn Estates, a subdivision off McGrath Road north of Fairbanks. Under the agreement, the land will be held by the university for three years and then can be sold. The estimated value of the land is about $960,000. The proceeds are slated to benefit two academic programs, Spanish and psychology, as well as research by faculty member Kelly Drew at the UAF Institute of Arctic Biology.

The Zuckermans’ daughter, Bianca, graduated in 2010 with a double major in Spanish and psychology and a minor in biology.  She is currently seeking a doctorate in physical therapy in Texas. She chose the programs that would receive funds generated by the donation.

“These people and programs inspired me when I was a student at UAF,” she said. “I hope that this donation will further the growth of these departments and benefit the students, the university and the community.”

UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers, university leaders and representatives from the programs met with the Zuckerman family this week.

“This gift will benefit these programs—both their students and their research—for years to come,” Rogers said. “The Zuckerman family’s dedication to higher education is an inspiration to students and to donors and we truly appreciate their generosity.”

The Zuckermans’ donation is one of the largest one-time gifts made to UAF by an individual donor.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS:  Emily Drygas, UAF development director, at 474-6631 or [email protected].

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Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
12/16/11

Most offices at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will be closed for the winter break, Dec. 24 – Jan. 3. Some offices will also be closed or minimally staffed Dec. 19 – 23 and Jan. 4 – 6 as a cost-saving measure.

The UAF police and fire departments will remain open and the UAF Bookstore, the Student Recreation Center, the Wood Center, the UA Museum of the North and the Rasmuson Library will have limited hours during some parts of the winter break.

Campus shuttle service will be on an on-call only basis from 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Dec.19 – 23 and Jan. 4 – 13. Call 474-RIDE (7433) for pickup. Regular campus shuttles will not run Dec. 24 – Jan. 3 or Jan. 14 – 16. Campus shuttles will run at limited times from 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17 – 18. All routes will return to normal schedules on Jan. 19.

Visit http://www.uaf.edu/marketing/holiday/index.xml for specific dates, hours and schedules.

Students will begin returning to campus Tuesday, Jan. 17, when residence halls reopen. New students are invited to participate in orientation activities the following day. The first day of classes for the spring semester is Thursday, Jan. 19. The 2011-2012 academic calendar is also online at www.uaf.edu/catalog/current/acad_calendar.html.

The University of Alaska Museum of the North will be open during the holiday season Dec. 19 – 24 and Dec. 26 – 31 and Jan. 2 – 7. Regular hours resume Jan. 9. Visit http://www.uaf.edu/museum/ for more information.

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Gretchen Gordon
907-474-1891
12/8/11

Interior Alaska’s public television station is returning to its roots.

Effective July 1, KUAC TV, like its radio counterpart, will be a standalone station serving Interior Alaska.

Since 1995, KUAC TV, along with KTOO in Juneau and KYUK in Bethel, has been part of AlaskaOne, a consortium whose members include the general managers at three of Alaska’s public television stations.

At a meeting last month, the Alaska Public Broadcasting Service, which is the corporate entity for AlaskaOne, approved a motion to merge AlaskaOne’s centralized feed with the feed from Anchorage-based KAKM, which is run by Alaska Public Telecommunications, Inc. KUAC’s general manager, Keith Martin, cast the dissenting vote. As a result, KUAC will no longer be a member of the AlaskaOne consortium of stations beginning July 1, 2012.

“Our priority has always been to meet the needs of our constituents through our broadcasting mission. Becoming independent from AlaskaOne allows for a new future for KUAC TV,” stated Keith Martin, KUAC general manager. “We need to get back to that local connection.”

The change will not alter television programming for residents of the Interior who receive KUAC public television in Fairbanks or its Interior translator communities of Healy, Delta and Nenana. While the station will be identified as KUAC rather than AlaskaOne, the mission and quality of programming will stay the same, Martin said.

Since AlaskaOne was established in 1995, financial and manpower responsibilities have slowly shifted to KUAC in Fairbanks. This shift left KUAC covering all operational and programming expenses associated with the AlaskaOne centralized feed.

That financial reality was brought to the forefront in recent years, as Alaska’s public television stations discussed statewide television consolidation. Those discussions prompted the development of a new central casting facility in Anchorage and the November decision. KUAC will not participate in the new centralized feed from Anchorage due to its potential to cause financial harm to KUAC.

“KUAC TV viewers in the Interior will continue to enjoy the four digital television channels KUAC TV has been broadcasting for the past four years,” said UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers. “This move affords KUAC the opportunity to increase its engagement with our Interior communities and become a more powerful outreach device for the university.”

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Keith Martin, KUAC general manager, 907-474-5089, [email protected]. Marmian Grimes, UAF public information officer, at 907-474-7902 or via e-mail at [email protected].

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Nancy Tarnai
907-474-5042
11/23/11

With the quick snip of an enormous pair of scissors across a royal blue ribbon, University of Alaska Fairbanks officials opened the new $5.325 million School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences/Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Greenhouse.

“Twenty-eight weeks ago we put the shovel in the ground,” said Jim Mitchell, Ghemm Co. project manager, during a Nov. 22 dedication ceremony. “It’s been a team effort and a really interesting project. It was unique and it had its challenges.”

The week prior to the dedication ceremony, Fairbanks temperatures held at -40 degrees for days and the greenhouse maintained 75 degrees throughout the bitter cold.

“It was a good test run,” Mitchell said.

“This is an exciting day for the School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences and for UAF,” said UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers. “This has been a fast-track project.”

Calling the greenhouse a critical component of SNRAS’s horticulture program, Rogers said the new facility increases the teaching and research space from what was available in the old greenhouse, removed in the spring to make room for the Life Sciences Building.

While some people questioned the cost of the facility, Rogers assured the doubters that this is not just a simple greenhouse; it is equipped with a state-of-the-art climate control system.

“We’ll be able to reach out to communities, help in the drive for food security, extend the growing season and create new economic opportunities,” Rogers said.

He recognized the school’s partners, Pike’s Landing and Chena Hot Springs Resort, and thanked Ghemm Co. and Design Alaska.

Murray Richmond, legislative aide for Sen. Joe Thomas, read remarks sent by the senator. “Alaska agriculture sounds like an oxymoron to some people,” he said. “But they don’t know Alaska. We are the only people who would dedicate a greenhouse when it is 18 below zero.

“The work you do here is important. You are coming up with solutions. This project is true to the spirit of Alaska. We will find a way.”

Carol Lewis, dean of SNRAS and director of the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said controlled environments are the future of agriculture in Alaska. The new greenhouse will present many wonderful opportunities, she said. “It’s going to be innovative and great fun.”

She lauded Ghemm Co. “You made it happen,” she said. The company employed 189 workers, and no accidents occurred throughout the construction; 32 sub-contractors were also hired.

The downstairs portion of the complex, containing three greenhouse modules, remains to be finished, and Rogers said he is committed to completing the project as soon as possible. He has set aside about half of the $500,000 it will take to do the job.

Nancy Tarnai
907-474-5042
11/16/11

A new state-of-the-art horticulture greenhouse will be dedicated on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. The university will host a ceremony at the greenhouse, near the Arctic Health Research Building on the West Ridge.

The $4.5 million teaching and research facility replaces the 40-year-old West Ridge greenhouse that was removed earlier this year to make space for the construction of the Life Sciences building.

The 4,500-square-foot greenhouse includes space-efficient teaching and research areas equipped with state-of-the-art environmental control and innovative plant production systems. The finished upper level has two greenhouse sections of 750 square feet and two sections of 375 square feet. The lower level has three sections of 750 square feet each and houses a 900-square-foot growth chamber area. The greenhouse extends along the south side of the Arctic Health Research Building.

“We are very excited about the research, teaching and outreach opportunities the greenhouse will provide for our faculty and students,” said Carol Lewis, dean of the UAF School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences and director of the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

A computerized control system monitors and regulates environmental variables such as temperature, humidity and light intensity in each greenhouse compartment, providing optimal conditions for plant growth. “This will provide excellent opportunities for students to prepare for careers in the modern greenhouse industry,” Lewis said.

The greenhouse currently features a finished upper level and a partially complete lower level. The greenhouse complex also includes 1,100 square feet of classroom space, a laboratory, two offices, a clean room, storage and an area for handling plant materials, fertilizers and potting media.

The public is invited to the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Contact Marilyn Childress, 907-474-7083 or [email protected], to RSVP.

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
10/26/11

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Office of International Programs and Initiatives will host two presentations Thursday, Nov. 3 by Jonathan Adelman, an international affairs expert from University of Denver.

Adelman will meet with UAF students in the afternoon at the Honors House on Copper Lane. The presentation, “Emerging China, Russia and Israel: What it Really Means for Traveling Millennials,” is co-hosted by the UAF Honors Program.

Adelman’s second lecture “Emerging China and Russia: Impacts and Awareness for Alaska and Alaskans” is free and open to the public. It will take place in the Wood Center Ballroom from 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Adelman is a professor in the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver. He received his doctorate from Columbia University in 1976 and has been published numerous times regarding international affairs. He has worked with the U.S. State Department and served as doctoral dissertation advisor to former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He currently is a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington D.C.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Brandon Ilgen at 907-474-7157 or [email protected].

NOTE TO EDITORS: Journalists wishing to cover Adelman’s meeting with students can do so, though that event is not open to the public due to space constraints. The meeting runs from noon-2 p.m. Adelman is also available for advance interviews by emailing [email protected].

NW/10-26-11/097-12

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
10/7/11

The University Fire Department is hosting activities Oct. 9-15 as part of the national Fire Prevention Week.

The department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association for the annual event. Members of the department will visit area schools and offer fire education programs and tours of fire trucks. The department also provides fire prevention and safety materials and station tours.

The campaign is dubbed, “It’s Fire Prevention Week. Protect your Family from Fire!” It focuses on preventing the leading causes of home fires: cooking, heating and electrical equipment, as well as candles and smoking materials. Additionally, it urges people to protect their homes and families with life-saving technology and planning.

“In 2009, 2,565 people died in home fires. Nearly all of these deaths could have been prevented by taking a few simple precautions like having working smoke alarms and a home fire escape plan, keeping things that can burn away from the stove and always turning off space heaters before going to bed,” said Fire Marshal Len DeJoria. “Fire is a dangerous opponent, but by anticipating the hazards, you are much less likely to be one of the nearly 13,000 people injured in home fires each year.”

University Fire Department offers the following tips for protecting your home, dorm and family from fire:

• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater.
• Have a three-foot kid-free zone around open fires and space heaters.
• Replace or repair damaged or loose electrical cords.
• If you smoke, smoke outside.
• Use deep, wide ashtrays on a sturdy table.
• Blow out all candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep.

“While preventing fires at UAF is always our number one priority, it is not always possible,” DeJoria said. University residents need to provide the best protection to keep their homes, dorm rooms and families safe in the event of a fire, he said.

DeJoria said that families and individuals can help protect themselves by creating escape plans and practicing them.

“Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home or dorm and inspect all possible ways out,” he said. “Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors.”

To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities at UAF, contact the University Fire Department at 907-474-6303.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Len DeJoria, Fire Marshal, at 907-474-6303 or [email protected].

MG/10-7-11/085-12

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
10/3/11

The Fairbanks Experiment Farm at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is burning brush this week as part of its normal preparation for the winter season.

The farm burns brush at regular intervals during the year, when conditions allow staff members to do so safely.

Members of the public may notice smoke in the area. The farm is located near the agriculture fields on the southwest corner of campus.

MLG/10-3-11/080psa-12