Academics and cost are important when deciding which university to attend, but so are the people who teach there. That’s where Gary Laursen excels. He gets students excited about science and math, and he reaches many of them through the Alaska Statewide High School Science Symposium, part of the national Junior Science and Humanities Symposium.

"I’m always interested in giving opportunities to young people who want to be challenged in science, technology, engineering or math," Laursen says. In the last nine years the UAF-based Alaska symposium has had three first-place, three second-place and two thirdplace winners, and two honorable mentions in the national competition.

First place means a scholarship to the student’s university of choice, which Laursen hopes will be UAF. A senior research professor with the Institute of Arctic Biology and an adjunct professor in the Biology and Wildlife Department, Laursen has built a network of faculty and staff to help students develop academic plans that reflect the breadth of expertise at UAF. Among the current crop he’s recruited are students majoring in anthropology, biology, chemistry, education, engineering, fisheries and mathematics.

"I invite these kids to come to UAF and link them immediately to faculty so they get involved right away in undergraduate research. I find that terribly rewarding to see young people get a good academic foothold and just rock and roll."