Welcome to the premier issue of Frontiers, our periodical highlighting research at America’s Arctic University, the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Nestled in the center of a 360 million-acre laboratory, UAF is an oasis of technology in the pristine wilderness of Interior Alaska—a vast realm of spectacular beauty and diverse ecological and physiographic provinces. Against this backdrop live a hardy, resourceful people struggling against the challenges of climate change, high energy costs and shifting socio-economic tides. UAF houses some of the world’s top research scientists pursuing knowledge that directly benefits the people of Alaska and the broader arctic region. These scientists work hard to find solutions that present Alaskans with opportunities for healthier and safer lives, to identify sustainable ways of developing our resources and to create pathways to preserving our Alaska heritage during times of great change.

We celebrate the International Polar Year in this inaugural issue of Frontiers. IPY is a time of excitement for UAF as we join the global scientific community in this interdisciplinary and internationally coordinated research campaign that will usher in a new era of polar science. During IPY, our researchers have the chance to push their boundaries and in many cases be recognized for the work that they already do. In this issue we are only able to highlight a few of the many IPY projects happening around the UAF campus. I encourage you to visit the UA IPY website, www.ipy.alaska.edu, to learn more about the many other research projects as well as the events around the state that celebrate Alaska’s special significance in IPY.

We’ve designed this magazine with a few regular features to give you a taste of the projects and people involved in UAF research. In each issue, we will feature an in-depth interview with one of our research faculty members to offer you an opportunity to get to know our faculty, how they think, and what makes them tick. As part of our focus on IPY, in this issue we’ve chosen Hajo Eicken, one of UAF’s foremost sea ice researchers and a leader in many IPY research activities on campus. Second, in coming issues we hope to devote this introductory column to other research faculty and administrators to give you an opportunity to gain insights into the many activities and efforts on our campus.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue. I invite your comments and suggestions and look forward to hearing how we can continue to improve our research efforts.

Virgil (Buck) Sharpton
Vice Chancellor for Research
University of Alaska Fairbanks