Prior to joining UAF in 1998, Sharpton was senior staff scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, where he served for 14 years.  His research experience includes field validation studies, remote sensing and image processing, geophysical exploration techniques, petrographic microscopy (including u-stage and refractive index measurements), and instrumental geochemical techniques. He has coauthored over 75 papers in subjects ranging from lunar basin morphology to the role of impact in Earth’s biological record.  

Sharpton successfully stood for tenure at UAF in 1999. In 2001, he was awarded one of six distinguished Presidential Professorships across the UA system partially in recognition of his leadership in expanding the university’s capabilities in remote sensing and geographic information services.  During this time, Sharpton’s research interests broadened to include subjects such as the ecological, economic, and cultural impacts of climate change. He is founder and director of the Geographic Information Network of Alaska (GINA; http://www.gina.alaska.edu/) which has attained an international reputation for providing timely and open access to university geospatial data and information services across the world. He created the AlaskaView consortium in 2003 and in 2004-2005 was elected board chair of AmericaView, Inc., a national consortium promoting remote sensing education, research, and geospatial applications (http://www.americaview.org).  During his tenure, the AmericaView consortium expanded from 11 to 23 states.  In 2004, Sharpton also began working through the governor’s office and the state legislature to identify ways that the research capabilities centered at the university could be utilized more effectively within state agencies.

In June, 2005, Sharpton was selected as UAF’s chief research officer, following UAF’s decision to elevate this office to a cabinet level.  In this position he is responsible for strategically growing UAF’s $150+ million per year research enterprise, advancing the research agenda at UAF, and ensuring a close tie between the research and instructional elements of the university’s mission.  He oversees all pre-award administration, as well as research compliance, and tech transfer activities through the Center for Research Services (http://www.uaf.edu/research/about.html/), which he created.  He also directly supervises four research institutes, and three programs with a combined annual budget exceeding $95 million.  

Sharpton works closely with several government agencies in developing new federal and state partnerships with the university and ensuring alignment between university research and state and federal needs.  He sits on Alaska’s State Committee on Research (SCoR), is a member of the Governor’s Subcabinet on Climate Change, is on the Executive Committee of Alaska’s Statewide Digital Mapping Initiative, and is a member of the Denali Commission’s Energy Advisory Committee.  He recently presented testimony to the Review of Federal Arctic Policy convened by the U.S. Department of State and previously has testified before the U.S. Senate on the importance of America playing a leadership role in the 4th International Polar Year. Dr. Sharpton has experience on a variety of NASA, NOAA, and NSF review panels as well as state and local advisory boards. He is the university’s representative to the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, and NASULGC’s Council of Research Policy and Graduate Education.

He holds membership in the Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS) and the Geographic and Land Information Society (GLIS). He is also a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi, the Geological Society of America, American Geophysical Union, and the Meteoritical Society.

In addition to being awarded the President’s Professorship, his honors include AmericaView’s Legacy Award for leadership (2006), the Geophysical Institute Director’s Faculty Achievement Award (2001), The Government of Canada Group Achievement Award (1992), The NASA Group Achievement Award (1992), GVSC Distinguished Alumni (1995), The William F. Marlar Scholarship (1981-1984), and The Tulip City Rock and Mineral Club Award (1979).