January 27, 2012
Chancellor Rogers, Provost Henrichs and Vice Provost Thomas met with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities board of commissioners last week. They expect to hear back on UAF's institutional accreditation evaluation soon.
UAF zoophysiologist Brian Barnes was named a 2011 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science . Barnes, director of the Institute of Arctic Biology and science director at Toolik Field Station, was recognized for contributions to leadership in arctic science and research in hibernation and cryobiology, the study of the effects of low temperatures on living things.
The FY12 UAF fundraising goal has been surpassed. More than $11 million was raised from 2,900 donors, including $41,868 from UAF's second phonathon, a 27 percent increase from last year.
Coastal Villages Region Fund, one of six CDQ ( Community Development Quota) groups, donated $150,000 to the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, which will benefit the Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center.
ERA Aviation, Inc. donated $100,000 to the aviation program at the Community and Technical College.
UAF closed this fall with 11,149 students, up 1 percent overall and nearly 3 percent at the Fairbanks campus. UAF has increased every year for the last five years. For spring, headcount is up 3.1 percent, with student credit hours up 2.4 percent, with the biggest increases at Bristol Bay, CTC and CNSM.
U.S. News & World Report shows UAF as 5th Most Popular National University in a ranking based on the percentage of students who are accepted and enroll. While the ranking is positive, it's not likely an indicator of true popularity. It's more likely the students who apply to UAF have already decided to attend.
UAF post-doc Taro Nakai's aurora video was used on the CBS Evening News. Visit http://bit.ly/ztTLfx for the story. The time-lapse is on YouTube at https://youtu.be/8BC6flTOGSk.
Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program agent Gay Sheffield, in Nome, is one of the scientists investigating the unusual deaths of ringed seals and other marine mammals in Alaska’s Arctic and Bering Straits region. NOAA declared the deaths an unusual mortality event, triggering an investigation into the cause. With more than 135 dead and diseased ringed seals found off the Alaska coast since July 2011, SFOS Professor Emeritus John Kelley is leading efforts to test ringed seals for radiation stemming from the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan.
UAF will host a ribbon cutting and reception at the Alaska Center for Energy and Power's Energy Technology Facility Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 5:30 p.m.
Glenn Shaw, Geophysical Institute professor emeritus of physics, wrote a 212-page memoir, Fingerprints on the Moon: My Life in Physics. Shaw's book describes the professor's adventures across the globe and what prompted him to pursue his research in Alaska.
UAF and UA staff and faculty donated more than $70,000 to the United Way of the Tanana Valley.
Fairbanks 4-H leader Becky Osimowicz was recognized Jan. 15 as the Western Region 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer of the Year.
Chancellor's Cabinet, emergency management staff and public information officers plan to participate in a statewide emergency exercise designed to better prepare the Interior for extreme weather conditions. The Alaska Shield 2012 scenario begins with a powerful winter storm that cuts power to large populations centers and remote communities.
The fourth Alaska Young Fishermen’s Summit is set for Feb. 13 14 in Juneau. The group will take advantage of the Juneau location by introducing participants to the legislative process and discussing issues and concerns of Alaska’s emerging fishermen with members of the legislative Fish Caucus. Participants will visit with NOAA/UAF fisheries scientists.
The Cooperative Extension Service this week sponsored the Alaska Greenhouse and Nursery Conference and the Alaska Peony Growers Conference. Peonies have generated interest among Alaska producers because of the potential production growth; the flowers bloom in Alaska when they're not available elsewhere in the world.
Visitors to the Ted Stevens International Airport will be greeted by a 9' by 32' painting by UAF associate art professor David Mollett. The work depicts Rainbow Creek near the trailhead at mile 108 of the Seward Highway. Visit https://bit.ly/A5xg6J to view the painting.
This spring a group of Kuskokwim Campus students will earn college credit as they head to Ireland, England, the Netherlands and Germany for 17 days as part of the Kuskokwim Campus Travel Program. The trip will include a bus tour around Ireland, England’s largest arts festival in the beach town of Brighton, several days each in London and Amsterdam, and a boat tour through Germany’s castle-studded Rhine Valley.