Subscribe to the Cornerstone newsletter

Dancing with the Cars, a fundraising gala hosted by Chancellor Rogers and Sherry Modrow, takes place Friday, Feb. 11, from 7 – 11 p.m. Doors at the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum open at 6:30 p.m. The gala will feature fine food, antique autos, a live auction, and music by Theresa Bauer and Friends; dress is semiformal. Tickets are $100, which includes a $25 tax-deductible donation. Proceeds benefit the UAF Giving Green Sustainability Initiatives Fund and the Fairbanks Community Food Bank. For more information call 474-2600 or e-mail hleavengood@alaska.edu.

UA employee 2010 W-2s are available to view and print in PDF format though UAOnline. The online form can be printed and submitted to the IRS. A printed W-2 will be mailed to employees, postmarked by Jan. 31.

Check out The Best of 2010, a photo slide show featuring a selection of the best photographs of 2010 by Todd Paris, UAF Marketing and Communications.

Georgeson Botanical Garden is seeking volunteers to foster plants from its greenhouse collection. The current greenhouse will be removed by March 1 and the new greenhouse is scheduled for completion by Oct. 31. Volunteers are needed to provide foster care for the plants during construction. For more information contact Katie DiCristine at 474-6921.

Kate Wynne, Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, surveyed endangered Steller sea lions at the Long Island haulout near the city of Kodiak, photographing 33 branded sea lions during two December 2010 surveys. The data Wynne collected helps federal researchers monitor the health of the western stock of Steller sea lions.

The National Student Exchange office is currently accepting applications from students wishing to go on exchange during the 2011 – 2012 academic year. Interested students are required to attend an information session offered every Tuesday and Thursday at 1:05 p.m. in 113 Eielson. The application deadline is Feb. 15. For more information contact Megan Allen at 474-5809 or uaf.nse@alaska.edu.

Ray RaLonde, Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, is helping the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation plan public outreach activities to inform Alaskans about the dangers of paralytic shellfish poisoning during this spring and summer recreational shellfish harvest. RaLonde is also helping to develop PSP sampling protocol and handling standards that communities will use if they take part in a proposed community-based PSP monitoring program.

The UA College Savings Plan is hosting a contest for participants in the Permanent Fund Dividend college savings plan. If you click "yes" on line 6 of the PFD application to contribute to the plan you will automatically be entered in the drawing. The prizes are one $25,000 and four $2,500 scholarship accounts.

Quentin Fong, Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, worked with a resident of the Southeast Alaska community of Klawock who is interested in starting a seafood processing operation. Fong helped him understand the steps involved with attracting investors, including putting together a prospectus and business plan.

KSUA is accepting applications for DJ positions for the spring semester. No experience is necessary. For more information contact Rebecca File at ksuaprogramming@gmail.com.

The January issue of Paws for a Cause, a monthly e-newsletter featuring news about sustainability-related projects and events, as well as tips to reduce, reuse and recycle of interest to the UAF community, is available online. To subscribe join the listserv.

Introduction to Sustainable Energy, an environmental studies course, looks at societal problems and solutions related to energy use and production. Tuition for ENVI 293, a 3-credit course offered online, is covered by a grant. For more information or to register for the course, contact Chet Chambers at 1-800-478-5109 or cochambers@alaska.edu.

UAF safety and crime statistics are available online.

The UAF Student Job Fair takes place Tuesday, Jan. 25, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Wood Center. UAF departments will be recruiting students for spring job openings. For more information contact Career Services at 474-7596.

The 2011 Science for Alaska Lecture Series takes place Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the Westmark Gold Room through February 22. Pre-lecture hands-on activities for all ages begin at 6 p.m. before each session. "Healthy Alaska: What's in our Fish?" by Todd O'Hara, Institute of Arctic Biology, takes place Jan. 25 and "Thawing Permafrost: What Does it Mean for the Arctic?" by Vladimir Romanovsky, Geophysical Institute, takes place Feb. 1.

Cooperative Extension Service is hosting two conferences (PDF) at the Hilton Hotel in Anchorage Wednesday – Friday, Jan. 26 – 28. The 30th annual Greenhouse and Nursery Conference takes place Jan. 26 – 27 and the fifth annual Peony Growers Conference takes place Jan. 27 – 28. For more information on the greenhouse conference contact Stephen Brown at 907-745-3639 or scbrown4@alaska.edu. For more information on the peony conference contact Julie Riley at 907-786-6306 or afjar@uaa.alaska.edu.

The Office of Faculty Development presents Teaching Evolution, a lecture and workshop by Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, Thursday, Jan. 27. The lecture, "The Evolution of Creationism," takes place at 9:45 a.m. in Schaible Auditorium and the workshop, "Teaching Evolution and Avoiding the Minefields," takes place at 1 p.m. in 108 Butrovich Building.

School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences dean candidate Mike Castellini will participate in an open forum Monday, Jan. 31, from 3 – 4:30 p.m. in 109 Butrovich. The forum will be available via video conference at the following locations: Juneau: 101 Lena Point; Seward: Marine Center Auditorium; Kodiak: 219 Fisheries Industrial Technology Center; Anchorage: Marine Advisory Program Library; and Petersburg: Petersburg Public Library.

The Financial Aid Office presents Finan˘ial $ense Day, Tuesday, Feb. 1, with workshops around campus at 9 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Sessions are free, open to all and registration is not required. A financial fair will be held in Wood Center from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and application completion assistance will be available from noon – 2 p.m. in 301 Rasmuson Library. For more information and a listing of workshops visit the website.

Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program is partnering with Integrated Marine Systems to offer a workshop in Petersburg on how to maintain, operate and troubleshoot onboard refrigeration equipment. The workshop takes place Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 8:30 a.m. at Petersburg’s PFI Cookhouse. The workshop fee is $150 and includes a course manual. Registration is required by Wednesday, Jan. 26 and space is limited. For more information contact Sunny Rice at sunny.rice@alaska.edu or call 907-772-3381 or 888-788-6333.

Career Services is hosting the Visitor Industry and Summer Job Fair Wednesday, Feb. 2, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. in Wood Center. For more information call 474-7596 or e-mail careerservices@uaf.edu.

Discover UAF: Admissions, Financial Aid and Scholarships, a program for high school juniors and seniors and their parents to learn about UAF, ask questions and tour campus, takes place Saturday, Feb. 5, from 1 – 3 p.m. in Signers' Hall. For more information contact Lael Oldmixon at 474-6679 or lmoldmixon@alaska.edu.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival, hosted by the Student Activities Office, takes place Sunday, Feb. 6, at 6 p.m. in Davis Concert Hall. Tickets are available in advance at Wood Center and Beaver Sports and cost $10 for students and $12 general admission, or $12 students and $14 general admission at the door.

The UAF Alumni Association's 9th annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction takes place Saturday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. in the Wood Center Pub. Tickets are $30 in advance, available at the Alumni Office, Wood Center front desk and the Pub, or $35 at the door. For more information call 474-7081.

The Associated Students of Business will host a spring semester ice breaker Saturday, Feb. 12, from 7 p.m. to midnight at Wedgewood Resort. The event will provide networking opportunities among business students, faculty and local business professionals. The event is free to UAF students and $25 to all others. For more information or to purchase tickets e-mail asbuaf@gmail.com.

The UA Museum of the North is hosting the traveling exhibit "Coffee: The World in Your Cup," through April 16. The exhibit was created by the Burke Museum in Seattle to explore one of the world's most widely traded commodities and features photos, maps, artifacts and hands-on demonstrations.

Check out the UAF Weekly Science Calendar, sponsored by the Center for Global Change and Arctic System Research, for science-related events at UAF.

Visit UAF's online calendar for information on UAF events or to publicize an event.

Reindeer rancher Ron Disher of Waterville, Ohio, donated $5,000 to UAF's Reindeer Research Program as the start of a five-year commitment to the program. Disher also challenged members of the Reindeer Owners and Breeders Association to donate to RRP and will match their contributions. The RRP is dedicated to the development and promotion of the reindeer industry in Alaska with research focused on meat science, range management, nutrition and animal health.

The School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Science was awarded $400,000 by the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development for endangered species research. Associate Professor Matthew Cronin will assess polar bears, sea lions and beluga whales.

Jeremy Mathis, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, received the Alaska Ocean Leadership Award for research Sunday, Jan. 16, at the Alaska Marine Gala held at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward.

John Pender, engineering student, won the Office of Information Technology mobile application contest for his UAF Courses application. The application is an iPhone app to help students choose classes for their schedule and get ready to register.

The RISE board selected 12 student-led projects to fund for a total allocation of $70,252. Twice annually the Student RISE Board and Office of Sustainability accept proposals to support UAF’s sustainability initiatives. Preference is given to projects that invest in energy efficiency programs and renewable energy projects.

Nanook women's basketball takes on Montana State Billings Thursday, Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m. and Seattle Pacific Saturday, Jan. 29, at 1 p.m. in the Patty Center gym.

Nanook men's basketball faces off with Central Washington Thursday, Jan. 27, at 5:15 p.m. and Northwest Nazarene Saturday, Jan. 29, at 3:15 p.m. in the Patty Center gym.

The Alaska Nanook athletic event scores from last week are: Home games – women's basketball vs. Western Washington, 50-76 and vs. Simon Fraser, 71-82; men's basketball vs. Saint Martin's, 96-93 and vs. Western Oregon, 85-89. Away games – hockey vs. Michigan, 0-2 and 3-4; rifle vs. Kentucky, 4650-4668 and vs West Virgina, 4646-4696; men's and women's skiing, men's 2nd place, women's 1st place.

Feb. 11: Proposals for the Global Change Student Research Grant Competition are due. Guidelines are available online; please review them carefully as they have changed significantly from the 2010 guidelines. For more information contact Susan Sugai at 474-5415 or susan.sugai@alaska.edu.

Feb. 11: Emeriti nominations are due to the UAF Provost's Office. Guidelines and more information are available at the Provost's Office website.

Feb. 15: Nominations for the Chancellor's Cornerstone Award to recognize UAF staff are due. Please be sure to review eligibility guidelines before submitting a nomination online. For more information contact Staff Council at 474-7056 or fystaff@uaf.edu.

Feb. 18: Usibelli Award nominations in the areas of teaching, public service and research are due to the UAF Provost's Office. For guidelines and more information visit the Usibelli Award nominations website.

Feb. 28: Honorary degree nominations are due to the UAF Provost’s Office. For guidelines and more information visit the Honorary Degree website.

March 18: Nominations for the Staff Make Students Count Award are due. Please be sure to review eligibility guidelines before submitting a nomination online. For more information contact the UAF Governance office at 474-7056 or fystaff@uaf.edu.

Cornerstone banner photo by Todd Paris, UAF Marketing and Communications.