Research at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Transcript

It’s no secret that research is a big deal here. UAF’s location is well situated for arctic and climate research. But no matter what your major is, you’ll have opportunities to go outside the classroom and dig deeper into tomorrow’s challenges. Caitlynn’s here to share some of the ways that students can participate in research, including some of her own. Over to you, Caitlynn.

– Quyanaq, Alex. I’ll take it from here. As introduced, my name is Caitlynn. I now want to introduce myself in Inupiaq, my native language. I chose to attend UAF to stay near my home and attend the best engineering program in Alaska. Here at UAF, there are great opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research. We have BLaST which provides mentored biomedical research experiences. The Climate Scholars Program offers undergraduate students from all majors an opportunity to study the effects of the changing climate within their area of study. Lastly, URSA, the Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity office provides funding and mentorship for students to complete their own research and attend scientific conferences. With the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program, we have weekly meetings to meet different professionals in STEM, and host study groups. As a senior, I was a research fellow with the Arctic Domain Awareness Center, and worked on the Arctic Facilities and Infrastructure Environmental Change Risk Index. The index was created for the US Coast Guard to help them assess facilities under their purview. I presented this project at an URSA Research and Scholarly Activity Day. With this research group, I even traveled to Utqiagvik for a week. I received my bachelor’s degree here, and decided to continue my education for a master’s. As a graduate student, I’m working on a research project to determine the possible negative impact of permafrost degradation on the water quality of the Wulik River, a river in my region. While at UAF, I made the most of the resources granted to me. I’m now empowering native Alaskans, and working to incorporate traditional knowledge into my research. That’s it from me. Back to you, Alex. 

Thanks, Caitlin. 36% of UAF bachelor students complete a research thesis or honors project before graduation. UAF is preparing the next generation of leaders and problem solvers by giving students hands-on experience in research teams and internships, working on real-world projects. That is amazing. Take care.