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College of Natural Science & MathematicsVol. 12 Issue 2 Spring 2012

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Sea ice and the atmosphere

2 UAF COLLEGE OF NATURAL SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS

Paul LayerDean

Welcome to the Spring 2012 newslet-ter. It has been an exciting winter for us with wild temperature swings and

heavy snowfall in March, but spring is on the way, and with it the promise of an exciting summer !eld season for many of our faculty and students, summer sessions and our summer programs including the Alaska Summer Research Academy (ASRA), Girls on Ice and GeoFORCE. I am also looking forward to commencement, a time to celebrate the accomplish-ments of our students. This year CNSM will award 25 PhD degrees and 30 MS degrees in addition to almost 100 B.A. and BS degrees. I thank the faculty and students for their commit-ment to academic excellence.

Winter has seen the UAF Life Sciences Facility take shape and become closer to reality. The building was fully enclosed on Christmas Eve and work continues on the interior. We are sched-uled to move in during the summer of 2013, and teach classes in the fall. Things are on schedule and looking good.

In this newsletter we highlight some of the achievements of our faculty, staff and students. For example, David Newman, Professor of Physics, was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society in recognition of his distinguished career in his

!eld. While many of us focus on the summer for our !eld time, work continues all year round as evidenced by the research con-ducted by Professor of Chemistry William Simpson, featured in this newsletter. His research studies focus on the impact of sea ice on the atmosphere.

Of note in this newsletter is the ever increasing list of donors. Thank you one and all for support of the college and its depart-ments. The funds have allowed us to endow yet another scholarship and provide support for student research and travel to professional conferences to present their work. We are con-tinuing to seek support for the new Life Sciences Facility and for instructional equipment for all of our departments. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to help.

This winter was also a sad one for us as we lost two colleagues; Davis Sentman, Professor Emeritus of Space Physics, and Norbert Untersteiner, a former Chapman chair. I recall long con-versations with each of them and will miss them both.

In the last newsletter I mentioned our institutional accreditation review. We were accredited with very few issues. The process has allowed us to re-examine our programs, and to update our curricula. Look for changes in almost all of our majors with the intent of providing more options for students and to make our graduates more competitive in their !elds after graduation. Also of note, we are moving forward on creating a collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program with Colorado State University. This program will be a “2+2” program where students will do the !rst two years of veterinary school at UAF and the last two at CSU. This program will offer opportunities for Alaska students to pursue professional careers in veterinary medicine. There is still a lot of work to do to make this happen, and I appreciate the support of everyone involved. �

Notes FROM THE DEAN’S OFFICE

Mission Statement

Through instruction and mentoring, the College of Natural Science and Mathematics promotes students’ self-motivation to excel and guides them towards professional careers and public service in an environment of life-long learning. Through research, the college advances knowledge of natural, physical, technological and numerical systems from a northern

perspective. Instruction, mentoring, research and outreach are brought together within undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs to bene!t Alaska, the nation and the world.

Vision Statement

The College of Natural Science and Mathematics is the education and research leader in science

and technology for the public and private sectors of Alaska and the north. Research and instruction are strengthened by competitive grants at the national level, to the bene!t of the university and its students. Research, teaching, and outreach contribute to achieve a superior learning experience. Vitality in scholarship is improved at all levels by recruiting and retaining the best and brightest faculty,

staff, and undergraduate and graduate students. Instructional programs use the most current technologies and methods to focus on developing skills for both scholarship and vocation to allow students to develop to their full potential and become the scienti!c leaders of the future. Leaders throughout Alaska seek our input for solutions to problems facing Alaskans.

Of!ce of the Dean358 Reichardt Building474-7608www.uaf.edu/cnsm/Paul Layer, DeanJohn Craven, Associate Dean and

ESTES DirectorHild Peters, Executive Of!cer and

Interim Development Of!cerPauline Thomas,

Administrative Assistant

Atmospheric Sciences314 IARC Building474-7368www.gi.alaska.edu/AtmosSci/Nicole Mölders, ChairBarbara Day,

Of!ce Manager

Biology & Wildlife211 Irving I Building474-6294www.bw.uaf.eduChrista Mulder, ChairJeff Baxter, Of!ce Manager

Chemistry & Biochemistry194 Reichardt Building474-5510www.uaf.edu/chem/Bill Simpson, ChairMist D’June-Gussak, Office Manager

Geology & Geophysics308 Reichardt Building474-7565www.uaf.edu/geology/Sarah Fowell, Co-chairAnupma Prakash, Co-chairJune Champlin, Of!ce Manager

Mathematics & Statistics101 Chapman Building474-7332www.dms.uaf.eduAnthony Rickard, ChairKitty Mathers, Of!ce Manager

Physics102 Reichardt Building474-7339www.uaf.edu/physics/Ataur Chowdhury, ChairSaundra Jefko, Of!ce Manager

SPRING 2012 3

Honor Roll of Donors and Industry Partnerships

BUSINESSES AND AGENCIES

Alaska Trappers

BP Exploration, Inc.

Calvin J Lensink Estate

Eli Lilly and Company Foundation

Flint Hills Resources Alaska

New York Life

Preissel Group LLC

The Boeing Company

The Outdoor Foundation

INDIVIDUALS

Kif Augustine-Adams and Stirling Adams

Layne and Beth Adams

Lauren and Glenn Burnham

Joan and Doug Braddock

Doug Bingham and Sheila Janki Bingham

Alan Batten

Bill and Andrea Benitz

Damon and Lana Bender

David and Cheryl Braun

James and Danielle Britt

Robert and Shirley Cismowski

Burnett and Susan Dunn

Linda B. Distad

William Dambeck

Jackie and Ed Debevec

Binhuai Fa

John and Jackie Goering

Ted Gardener

Dennis and Maureen Holden

Sonja and Robert Holden

Deitrie Hanson

Eric Hoberg

Tom and Nancy Hallinan

Marilyn H. Herreid

Woody and Pam Johnson

Brian and Donita Lawhead

Lizabeth Allison and Michael Levine

Shelby and Leroy Leonard

Paul and Karen Layer

Dorothy Lucas

James Lawless

Roy Loewenstein and Alana Stubbs

Nicole Moelders and Gerhard Kramm

Erik and Melanie Molvar

Joeann and Jim Moran

Dave and Elizabeth McNab

Kristy McCumby

John Nodus

John and Ann Noll

Frank Parr

Sterling Rearden

Bob and Bobbie Ritchie

Tom Royer

William and Carelyn Reeburgh

Rocky Reifenstuhl and Gail Koepf

Mel Shangin

Richard and Terra Shideler

Steven and Katherine Smith

Melody Schneider

Linda Smailus

Rich and Patricia Seifert

Lee and Patricia Snyder

Robin and Mike Smith

Kathleen and Richard Weber

Bob and Terri Watson

Susan S. Woodward

Andrew and Sandra West

Jane and Peter Young

Stephen and Veronica Young

Randy Zarnke

Jerry and Barbara Zelenka

Nathan Zierfuss and Pamm Hubbard

We’d like to take this opportunity to publicly thank donors and industry partners of the College of Natural Science and Mathematics. Through contributions or hands-on

involvement, they have joined with the college to support our commitment to academic excellence, research and service.

We hold these relationships with donors and industry partners in high regard. They lend strength to the college and support our mission to produce outstanding graduates and a well-quali!ed workforce.

We wish to thank the following donors and partners:

NEW FACULTYJiguo “Jack” Chen, Director of State Virology Lab and Associate Professor of Virology

Andrea Ferrante, Assistant Professor of Immunology

Laura Prugh, Assistant Professor of Wildlife Biology

Kriya Dunlap, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry

Sarah Hayes, Assistant Professor of Chemistry (Analytical)

WELCOMELaura Conner, Director of CNSM Outreach and Research Assistant Professor of Educational Outreach

Nico Leiva, ESTES Purchasing and Travel Coordinator

Jeff Baxter, Of!ce Manager, Biology & Wildlife

Lori Gildehaus, ASRA Administrative Assistant

Kate Pendleton, Public Information Of!cer and Recruitment Coordinator

FAREWELLJohn Keller, Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus

June Champlin, Of!ce Manager, Geology & Geophysics

Jescia Sigh, ESTES Grant Coordinator

Dawn Dearinger, Of!ce Manager, Biology and Wildlife

John Craven, CNSM Associate Dean


The Arctic sea ice pack is undergoing unprecedented changes, with unknown impacts on the chemistry of the Arctic atmosphere. Thus, the NASA-funded BRomine, Ozone,

and Mercury EXperiment (BROMEX) !eld study, carried out near Barrow, Alaska in March 2012, aims to improve the understand-ing of how various sea ice types affect atmospheric chemistry. Past studies have shown that salts in sea ice, particularly sodium chloride and bromide (a trace component of sea salt) can become converted to potent halogen oxidizers that then change the fate of many atmospheric compounds. Of particular concern is the fact that these halogens oxidize mercury, leading to deposition of toxic mercury to the snowpack increasing its bioavailability.

Arctic sea ice forms by rapid freezing of sea water that traps some of the salts in the water in a concentrated “brine”. Thus “!rst year” ice, which formed during the prior winter, possesses a highly saline surface as compared to older “multi-year” ice, which has experienced a summer melting season. The reduction

Studying How Sea Ice Affects the Atmosphereby William Simpson, Chair, Department of Chemistry

in summer sea ice means that the Arctic has more !rst year ice in the winter/spring, increasing the salinity of the surface, and probably increasing the halogen chemistry described above. In addition to !rst year ice, the pack ice is in constant motion in response to winds, currents, and tides that crack its surface forming “open leads”. In springtime, the leads refreeze, forming even younger ice types such as nilas and frost "owers. Due to their high salinity, some have hypothesized that these very young ice types are the source of the mercury-depositing halogens, but no experiment has ever been able to test this hypothesis due to dif!culties of working in the “bad neighborhood” of near-coastal sea ice. The BROMEX !eld study aims to address this question of how ice type affects the atmosphere’s chemistry.

BROMEX is a collaborative NASA !eld mission led by Son V. Nghiem from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Collaborators come from UAF, the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), Purdue University, SRI international, Environment Canada, University of Heidelberg,

Steve Walsh stands beside an IceLander system outside the Barrow Arctic Research Center (BARC) north of the town of Barrow. Photo by Bill Simpson

SPRING 2012 5

(ABOVE) A webcam image from the IceLander-2 system deployed on pack sea ice about 40km west of Barrow, Alaska. Photo by IceLander-2.

(LEFT) A Google Earth screen capture shows the drift track of the IceLander-2 system on 24 and 25 Mar 2012 overlaid on a Terra MODIS 250 meter resolution true-visible image. The IceLander-2 system is on the rectangular block of sea ice marked with the square. Image courtesy NASA and Google

Germany, and the University of Washington. The project also has a large number of international collaborators worldwide. At its peak, around 30 scientists were in Barrow, Alaska and a roughly equal number of collaborators, largely satellite remote sens-ing experts, were spread across the globe interacting with the !eld team. The key design of the experiment was to measure the state of the sea ice, determining ice type largely by satellite remote sensing. We then measured on the ground key chemical species involved in this chemistry, including mercury, ozone, and halogen gases. These atmospheric chemicals were measured via an array of instrument packages to determine the horizontal and vertical structures of the chemicals, which are then compared to the sea ice types.

To measure the vertical pro!le of halogens and ozone, Paul Shepson of Purdue University brought a highly instrumented twin-engine aircraft (a Beechcraft Dutchess) known as the Airborne Laboratory for Atmospheric Research (ALAR) that "ew vertical pro!les and explored the horizontal extent of the chemistry aloft and inland. The ALAR data will provide unprecedented vertical pro!le resolution of the chemistry that will help to determine how far air mixes from the salt-rich sea ice aloft.

My research group at UAF sought to determine horizontal structures of halogens and ozone by deploying autonomous instrument packages known as “IceLanders” onto the sea ice and allowing them to drift with the ice, reporting data back by satellite modem communications. Environmental Chemistry Ph.D candidate Steven Walsh was instrumental in building two IceLander systems for this project, and Steve and I deployed the instruments in early March, 2012. Other graduate and under-graduate students including Peter Peterson, Erin Gleason, and Eyal Saiet provided key support in the project and participated in the !eld experiment.

The IceLander autonomous instrument packages were designed to be deployed rapidly from a helicopter allowing them to be placed onto sea ice and then recovered after the studies were done. The IceLanders are solar powered, maintain a constant instrumental temperature by using the instruments’ waste heat, and telemeter data using a two-way Iridium satellite modem link. In addition to measuring atmospheric chemicals, they also measure meteorology, GPS position and system health. They have a webcam that provides images of the sea ice as well as

determining the rotation of the package by using the sun’s posi-tion in the time-stamped image. Hourly real-time data from the systems is available at /

The initial deployment locations for the IceLanders were chosen using satellite remote sensing images interpreted by sea ice and

snow experts Drs. Don Perovich and Matthew Sturm from CRREL. We then scouted the sites using a char-tered helicopter and placed a GPS marker beacon from University of Washington at the sites. It was then

time to load up the IceLanders and deploy them. This task was Steve’s and mine, and through rapid teamwork, a great check-list, and help from our pilot, we installed each IceLander in under 40 minutes. A time-lapse video of the install of one of the IceLanders is available at YouTube:

was placed on pack ice west of Barrow with the intent that it would break free of the coast and join the drifting Arctic ice pack. IceLander-1 was placed east of Barrow, on what was hoped to be landfast ice to provide a reference comparison. A third set of instruments is located north of Barrow. The design is that the IceLander-1 site will typically be upwind so air goes from IceLander-1 to Barrow to IceLander-2. Those same prevailing winds push the pack ice away from Barrow, meaning that there should be an open lead between Barrow and IceLander-2. Testing the in"uence of that lead and refreezing sea ice on atmospheric chemistry is the goal of our study.

The deployment of the IceLanders went surprisingly smoothly due to uncommon winds from the west and low wind speeds. However, those winds were not able to break the ice on which IceLander-2 was placed away from the landfast ice. Finally, on 24 March, 2012, the winds shifted to coming from the east and intensi!ed, breaking open the lead. At that point, IceLander-2 started a long drift westward on its ice "oe. As the system drifted westward, open water and refreezing sea ice separated the IceLander-2 site and Barrow. The wind typically blows from Barrow to the IceLander-2 site, allowing us to observe the effect of those thin ice types in changing air chemical composition between the two sites. We now need to collect the data and compare with the satellite remote sensing of ice type to deter-mine the in"uence of sea ice on atmospheric chemistry.

In the long run, this work promises to give a sound mechanistic basis for our understanding of Arctic atmospheric chemistry on sea ice. That information can then be used to determine how the changing Arctic ice pack is likely to change the atmosphere’s chemistry and deposition of mercury to the ecosystem. �


The Three Poles: A New Focus for Research, Sustainability Management, Ethics (and UAF fellowship)by Falk Huettmann, Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology

The ‘three poles’ consist of the Arctic, Antarctic and the Hindu-Kush Himalayas (HKH); they make for a unique world heri-

tage. The ‘three pole’ research scheme has existed since the 1950s, and globalization favors such views more and more. But it was with the International Polar Year (IPY 2007/8) that this scheme of ‘three poles’ received truly global attention. Although spatially widely placed apart, the three poles are still united by host-

ing the world’s largest reservoir of snow and ice, and freezing-cold temperatures. Also, the warming polar deserts and retreating glaciers make for a common fact that now ties the three poles together for their survival.

The author was fortunate to be able to spend time during a sabbatical working on the three poles (in Alaska, in Arctic Russia, with the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) in Tasmania, with SCAR-MARBIN (Marine Biodiversity

Information Network), with the International Center for Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu, and with the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) in Basel for Global Mountain Data). Based on over 20 international co-authors, this work resulted in the publication of ‘Protection of the Three Poles’ published with Springer, Japan. All proceeds of this book go to the new ‘Protection of the Three Global Poles’ fellowship housed at UAF.

As already evidenced in the Global Millennium Assessment, a synthesis from the three poles makes clear that these regions are in serious trouble. While industrial development and eco-nomic growth keeps pacing forward, poverty of the people as well as the protection of this globally unique region remain widely behind. For instance, less than 3% of the marine areas in the poles carry a real protection status such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs); virtually all terrestrial regions lack a well-designed and performing national park system. The critical notion of ice and temperature protection is still widely absent. While HKH is highly populated, even into highest areas (an intense agriculture and browsing by livestock can be found up to 6000m), the Arctic is not so densely populated, and Antarctica lacks settle-ments (apart from many research stations). However, tourism makes for one of the biggest growth industries at all poles. People seek polar wilderness for pleasure, and industrial exploitation is also intense. Many of the world’s largest mine sites and offshore oil and gas reservoirs are found in polar

regions (but which are regions that are very expensive to exploit and thus have to rely on subsidies such as waived clean-up costs). Also fascinating are the issues of waste (garbage) as well as food security, !sheries and urbaniza-tion. It becomes clear that the poles are widely overcommitted already. The three poles affect virtually all human beings of the world, involve all major nations (and their religions), and con-sequently represent ‘big politics’ and world

security issues, e.g. Antarctic treaty, Arctic shipping and the Tibet issue for HKH.

Climate change is clearly then THE major scheme for the poles. While contamination as well as the treelines are well extending into the poles now, globally needed actions for the protection of the world’s climate chambers are not progressing suf!ciently to provide us with sustainability, or even with the maintenance of the status quo. For instance, methane as well as ‘Black Carbon’ are virtually not regulated by any nation yet, nor is it even possible (considering that methane is produced by melting permafrost in remote wetlands and that black carbon produc-tion is closely related to poverty which is on the rise). The Asian Brown Cloud (ABC) is noticeable on Mount Everest as well as in Alaska, for instance. Antarctica achieved already its sad fame for the ozone hole.

Needless to say, a fascinating megafauna and biodiversity is still located at the three poles: from seabirds (e.g. auks, penguins and albatross) to walrus, beluga and killer whales to !sh, ben-thos, polar and brown bears, to pikas, insects and of course, plants as well as diseases. The adaptation of life to the poles makes for fascinating studies in evolution and ecology. Some areas in Antarctica still host a huge and undisturbed sea "oor biodiversity, the riddle of cryptic species is very obvious for this region, while many anti-cancer drugs are expected in mid-altitude HKH. The Arctic spider and fungi diversity are stunning features too. Clearly, polar regions serve mankind in many ways, e.g. as water towers. And equally important are the ecological services that the three poles bring for the atmosphere. Only now do we realize how fragile but relevant the atmosphere is for human well-being. Climate and environmental ethics clearly matter for

the poles. It is a lost hope that the three poles can be maintained in such a climate driven by unabated develop-ment policies, and with an increase in human popula-tion. It is here where we need more research for sus-tainability solutions dealing with healthy poles, a healthy life and a healthy globe. �

Tourists from the Marina Svetlana, Aurora Expeditions, on an ice !oe near Coulman Island, off Anarctica, 2009. Photo by R.E.Barwick

Falk Huettmann. Photo by Falk Huettmann

SPRING 2012 7

Climate division boundaries are shown over Alaska topography with the division names. Black dots indicate the locations of the Alaska stations used in the cluster analysis. Local expert knowledge from experienced weather forecasters in Alaska was employed to draw the "nal lines.

Updated Climate Divisions for Alaska

by Uma Bhatt, Associate Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences

The climate of Alaska is quite complex; Alaska encompasses several climate types, due to its vast size, high latitude location, proximity to oceans and complex topography.

Presently, Alaska does not have of!cial NOAA climate divisions and it is important that we do in order to improve our seasonal climate forecasts. Updated climate divisions are also needed for regional climate variability research and climate impact stud-ies. While climate type zones have been established for Alaska based on seasonal climatologies (long term average tempera-ture), there has been little attempt to construct climate divisions, which identify regions with consistently homogeneous climate variability. In this study, cluster analysis, which groups stations with similar temporal variability, was applied to monthly average temperature data from 1979-2008 at a robust set of weather stations to develop climate divisions for the state. Satellite mea-sured surface temperature estimates were used to !ll in missing temperature data when possible. Thirteen climate divisions were identi!ed based on the cluster analysis and subsequently re!ned using local expert knowledge (below). Division boundary lines were drawn encompassing the grouped stations follow-ing major surrounding topographic boundaries. These divisions

include the North Slope, West Coast, and Central, Northeast and Northwest Interior. Divisions south of the Alaska Range were Cook Inlet, Bristol Bay, Aleutians, Northeast and Northwest Gulf, and North, Central, and South Panhandle. Correlations with vari-ous Paci!c and arctic climate teleconnection indices showed numerous signi!cant relationships between seasonal division average temperature and the Arctic Oscillation, the Paci!c North American Pattern, the North Paci!c Index, and the Paci!c Decadal Oscillation. The next step is to better understand the relationships between climate divisions and the large-scale cli-mate as well as to obtain of!cial status for these divisions from NOAA in order to improve seasonal climate forecasts for Alaska. These climate divisions can be used to aggregate data in studies of regional Alaska climate that use gridded reanalysis or global climate model data. GIS shape-!les will be made available for such research. This work is part of the PhD work of Peter Bieniek in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences and was accepted for publication recently (Bieniek et al. 2012). This collaborative study greatly bene!tted from the interdisciplinary co-author group that includes forecasters from the Alaska National Weather Service. �

Reference: Bieniek, P. A., U.S. Bhatt, R.L. Thoman, H. Angeloff, J. Partain, J. Papineau, F. Fritsch, E. Holloway, J.E. Walsh, C. Daly, M. Shulski, G. Hufford, D.F. Hill, S. Calos, and R. Gens, 2012: “Climate divisions for Alaska based on objective methods,” accepted to J. Applied Meteorology and Climatology.


What’s Happening in ESTESby John Craven, Associate Dean and Director, ESTES

Faculty and staff research that is supported through external agencies is organized through the CNSM research of!ce, ESTES (Engineering Science and Technology Experiment

Station). In the current 2012 !scal year (as of March 2012), the ESTES of!ce has assisted with development of 36 new propos-als, for which 32 are completed and submitted, and for which $10,357,496 has been requested for research and other spon-sored activities (excluding UA Foundation funds). Eight of these new proposals have already been awarded in FY12 as well as three originally submitted in FY11 for a total FY12 award amount to date of $1,786,158. Six FY11 proposals remain under review for requested funding of $3,321,175. In addition, ESTES has also provided post-award administrative support for the 60 con-tinuing and newly awarded grants (including the UA Foundation) with authorized budgets totaling $9,784,704 from initial awards and also provided support for travel and procurement activities by faculty and staff. Considering only the externally sponsored activities there are 48 active grants and budgets of $7,722,093. The ESTES policy is to reinvest a part of the recovered overhead in CNSM; for the 48 active grants this amounts to $170,920 and $31,611 reinvested, respectively, in the individual PIs and their academic departments. The remainder is used to support ESTES operations and other activities.

The following PIs received grant awards in FY12:

Ken Severin: MRI: Acquisition/replacement of an Electron Microscope, NSF.

Erin Pettit: Using Immersion to Teach Fluency in Science: Girls on Ice Field Program, NSF, Collaborative Research in IPY: Larissa Supplement NSF, and Collaborative Research: Sonic Logging the NEEM Corehole, Greenland NSF.

Rainer Newberry: Bedrock Mapping and Analysis, East Moran Project, Livengood, Alaska, ADNR.

Todd O’Hara: Ice Seal Contaminants ADFG, Alaska Pinnipeds Contaminants Ecology ADFG, Cooperative Change of Climate ANTHC.

Jay Ver Hoef: Patterns of Deposition on Heavy Metal-enriched Dust Along the Red Dog Haul Road and the Effects on Non-vascular Plant Communities, NPS/CESU.

Richard Boone: IPA Assignment: NSF Program Director for the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT), NSF.

IN MEMORIAMWe bid a fond farewell to two great colleagues, Davis

Sentman and Norbert Untersteiner. Our condolences to their family, friends and colleagues.

An endowed fund is being established in memory of Norbert Untersteiner, former Chapman Chair, professor and mentor to many. Donations may be sent to the UA Foundation, PO Box 755080, Fairbanks, AK 99775 or online at

Please clearly mark the donation "Untersteiner Fund."

For more information please contact Hild Peters, Executive Of!cer and Interim Development Director, UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics, 907-474-7941, [email protected].

Professor of Physics, Emeritus

Former Chapman Chair

Advanced Instrumentation Laboratory receives NSF grant for new electron microprobe

The National Science Foundation recently awarded just over $1,000,000 to Ken Severin, Rainer Newberry, Jim Beget, Jess Larsen, and Elisabeth Nadin for the purchase of a new electron microprobe to be housed in the Advanced Instrumentation Laboratory. Including the required matching funds of 30%, provided by the Vice Chancellor for Research, the GI, CNSM, and AIL, the total purchase will be about $1.4M.

This instrument provides information about the elemental com-position of a solid sample. It works by focusing a micron sized electron beam on the sample, and collecting the x-rays produced from the sample. This can provide quantitative elemental con-centrations of elements from carbon to uranium, typically in the 500 parts per million range (although in some speci!c cases detection limits can approach 1 ppm) in areas as small as one micron across.

The new instrument will replace AIL's 20+ year-old probe which has been used for studies of everything from concrete to coins to archaeological artifacts to !sh to gold to volcanoes. The old instrument has provided data that was used in at least 40 MS and 13 PhD theses. Many faculty and graduate students are looking forward to the increased reliability, speed, and enhanced detection capabilities of the new instrument, which should be fully operational by the summer of 2013. �

SPRING 2012 9

Student opinion surveys are one measure of teaching excel-lence. While high student opinions of a course do not assure that a course is an excellent course, engaging stu-

dents is an important step in the process of learning. At the end of each semester, an Instructional Assessment System Survey (IAS), also known as student opinion of instruction, is formally given to every class in the university system.

As dean, I would like to recognize CNSM faculty, instructors, adjuncts and lecturers who taught courses highly rated by stu-dents during the last semester.

The criteria for recognition is having received an overall IAS score of greater than or equal to 4.5 (median of terms 1-4) in a course with at least eight students responding. A score of 4.5 indicates that 75% of students rated the course as very good to excellent.

Congratulations to the following on their efforts in teaching during fall semester 2011. �

Celebrating TeachingExcellence Fall 2011

BIOLOGY & WILDLIFEMichael Harris Knut KiellandDenise KindTodd O’HaraLink OlsonBarbara Taylor

CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY

Tom Green Kriya Dunlap

GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS

Sarah Fowell Rainer Newberry Anupma Prakash

MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS

Ron Barry Leah BermanJill Faudree John GimballJulie McIntyreJohn Rhodes

PHYSICSDavid Newman Channon Price

Student Awards and AchievmentsCNSM Student Travel Grant Recipients

Lori Bogren, Experimental Biology Conference, San Diego, CASamantha McNeith, Western Regional Honors Council Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NMJacob Mongrain, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CAJonathon Newman, Alaska Entomological Society, Anchorage, AKCatherine Rubin, Western Regional Honors Council Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NMEyal Saiet, Chemistry of the Sea Ice and Troposphere Research, Barrow, AKJenna Schmidt, Western Regional Honors Council Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NMDaniel Thompson, Alaska Chapter of the Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Anchorage, AKThomas Colby Wright, ExxonMobil Basin Analysis Short Course, Los Angeles, CA

Olaus Murie Caribou Fellowship Recipient

Thomas Edwards, SW Quantum Information and Technology Conference, Albuquerque, NM

Graduate Student Awards

Peter Bienek, Outstanding poster presentation award for: “Large-scale climate controls of Interior Alaska river ice breakup” at WCRP OSCTrang T. Tran, American Geophysical Union travel award to attend the AGU annual meeting in San Francisco.Rick Ladder Jr, travel support to attend the 4th WCRP International Conference on Reanaylses, Silver Spring, Maryland.


The 2012 ASHSSS: Another STEM Success

by Abel Bult-Ito, Professor of Biology and ASHSSS Director

The 27th Alaska Statewide High School Science Symposium (ASHSSS) was held on March 31 and April 1, 2012, at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) in College of Natural

Science and Mathematics (CNSM) facilities and in collaboration with the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District (FNSBSD).

The ASHSSS is a regional event, with winners going on to partici-pate in the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS). The JSHS is administered by the Academy of Applied Science and is jointly sponsored by the U.S. Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. These organizations also provide fund-ing to regional symposia, including the ASHSSS.

The ASHSSS program objectives are those of our parent national organization, the JSHS:

To promote research and experimentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at the high school levelTo recognize the signi!cance of research in human affairs and the importance of humane and ethical principles in the appli-cation of research resultsTo search out talented youth and their teachers, recognize their accomplishments at symposia, and encourage their con-tinued interest and participation in the sciences, engineering, and mathematicsTo expand the horizons of research-oriented students by exposing them to opportunities in academic, industrial, and governmental communitiesTo increase the number of future adults capable of conducting research and development.

On Saturday, 22 students competed in four scienti!c sessions presenting on research in organismal diversity, physical and chemical sciences, microbiology and molecular biology, and organismal biology. The !rst and second place winners in each session continued to the !nals session on Sunday. The stu-dents’ accomplishments were celebrated at an awards banquet on Saturday night at the Wedgewood Resort.

Here are the winners for 2012:

1st place: , Factors In"uencing Hedonic Well-Being Across the Lifespan, West Valley High School2nd place: The Effect of Triclosan on the Growth of Common Soil Bacteria, Palmer High School3rd place: Survival of Elodea nuttallii: Competition with Indigenous Species and Exposure to Limiting Factors, West Valley High School4th place: The Effects of Pool Chlorine on Lung Exertion in Adolescent Swimmers, West Valley High School5th place: , Snow Pit Accuracy with the Variability of Snow Conditions, West Valley High School6th place: Bird Species and Abundance in

Burned and Unburned Spruce Forest, West Valley High School7th place: Geochemistry of the Chena and Tanana Rivers near Fairbanks, Alaska: Effects of Seasonality and the City of Fairbanks, West Valley High School8th place: The Effects of Different Forest Management Practices on Microbial Communities, Mount Edgecumbe High School

The 2nd and 3rd place winners will not be able to attend the national JSHS in Bethesda, Maryland. Consequently, the Alaska Delegation will be as follows:

National Speaker #1: Dolma OmbadykowNational Speaker #2: Arthur SchweitzerNational Poster Presenter: Robin SpielmanNational Delegate: Sarah SwansonNational Delegate: Maria Berkeland

Over 140 people were involved in making this year another success. These awesome individuals included West Valley High School teachers and , Austin E. Lathrop High School teacher , Mount Edgecumbe High School teacher , three ASHSSS Directors, nine UAF faculty paper/abstract reviewers, 10 UAF student organization volunteers, 18 UAF judges, 17 community member research mentors, and 27 sponsors, in addition to many supportive peers and parents.

This year, 104 awards were distributed to 22 student par-ticipants from !ve schools from across Alaska: West Valley, Austin E. Lathrop, Mount Edgecumbe, Palmer, and Chugiak high schools. The student monetary awards totaled $50,600 in cash, scholarship and travel funds, which averages $2,300 per stu-dent. Financial program gifts totaled $16,750, cash awards to student volunteers totaled $800, and symposium costs were $5,800. Travel funds for the chaperone and the ASHSSS director totaled $4,500. In addition, $64,000 was contributed by in-kind support, bringing the total amount of monetary and in-kind funds utilized during this year’s ASHSSS to over $140,000.

The local organizing committee, the ASHSSS Director Abel Bult-Ito, Associate Director Barbara Taylor, and Past Director Gary Laursen, thank all who participated in making this another successfully conducted Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) experience.

Please visit our website for addi-tional information and a listing of our contributors. �

Alaska Statewide High School Science Symposium. From left: Arthur Schweitzer, Kelsey Schober, Dolma Ombadykow, Jiyeon Baek, Robin Spielman, Abel Bult-Ito. Photo by Kate Pendleton

SPRING 2012 11

Department of Atmospheric Sciencesby Nicole Mölders, Department Chair

We have had a very successful fall. Congratulations to our recent graduates and their advisors; Oceana Francis (PhD, Bhatt/Atkinson), John May!eld (MS, Fochesatto), Jean Talbot (MS, Bhatt), and Paula Moreira (MS, Zhang). Francis got a post-doc position at IARC, May!eld plans to continue his education, Talbot continues her education to pursue a PhD in Uma S. Bhatt’s group and Moreira returned to work in her native Brazil.

Rathawat Daengngern and Manatchanok Tantiphiphatthana won awards to participate in the NCL tutorial at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Peter Bienek won the Outstanding Poster Presentation Award for his poster entitled “Large-scale climate controls of Interior Alaska river ice breakup” at the WCRP OSC meeting in Colorado. Trang T. Tran won a travel award from the American Geophysical Union to attend the AGU annual meeting in San Francisco to present a poster. Rick Ladder won travel support to attend the 4th WCRP International Conference on Reanalysis, a GEWEX conference. Barbara Day was promoted to of!ce manager. Please congratulate them when you see them.

DAS students were very active in publishing their research with their advisors. Peter Bienek, Huy N.Q. Tran and Trang T. Tran published !rst-authored papers in peer-reviewed journals. DAS is very proud of these scholar achievements. We would like to express our deep thanks to the donors who make these awards possible through their donations. We hope to receive further donations from alumni, faculty, friends, and staff to support awards in the future.

Kara Sterling, a graduate student advised by Uma S. Bhatt, helped to develop and coordinate the

, offered December 5 – 6, 2011 at the 2011 American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco, California.

Richard L. Collins developed an e-delivery of ATM 101 Weather and Climate of Alaska. This class was offered the !rst time in e-delivery format this spring semester and the enrollment tripled compared to the former face-to-face delivery format, and demand was higher than seats available in the class. We are working on offering this class also in the fall semester 2012. Collins also continued his research on sudden stratospheric warmings and on estimates of the vertical diffusivity in the upper mesosphere in the presence of a meosospheric inversion layer by means of Rayleigh and resonance lidar observations performed at UAF’s Poker Flat Research Range.

G. Javier Fochesatto and his graduate students worked with faculty from the geology department (Anupma Prakash) with applied large aperture scintillometers and a multilevel eddy cova-riance tower instrumented with turbulence sensors at 3, 12, and 24 meters above the forest canopy. The collected data serve

to develop methods to determine evapotranspiration in boreal forests.

Kenneth Sassen used spaceborne radar and lidar measure-ments and data from the CloudSat and CALIPSO satellites to determine the global distributions of cloud frequencies and heights of middle tropospheric clouds. Since these little-studied clouds make up about 33% of the total cloud-cover and cover about 25% of the Earth’s surface, they signi!cantly affect the Earth’s energy balance and are important for the Earth’s climate.

Nicole Mölders and her graduate students continued examin-ing the effectiveness of various emission-control measures to mitigate the PM2.5-concentrations in the Fairbanks nonattainment area and improve air quality and visibility in Alaska National Parks. Together with her students and faculty from the Geology and Geophysics Department (Franz Mayer), Chemistry and Biochemistry Department (Catherine Cahill) and GI (Gerhard Kramm, Greg Walker) she works on methods for better retrieval of smoke from wild!res in satellite data.

DAS co-hosted the Alaska Weather Symposium (AWS) during the 2012 spring break. As in 2011, there was a student poster and oral presentation competition similar to those held at AMS or AGU. This year, three students from Japan participated in this competition along with UAF students from DAS, Computer Sciences, and SFOS. The winners of the best student poster award and best student oral presentation award were Jean Talbot (PhD student mentored by Uma S. Bhatt) and Ketsiri Leelasakultum (PhD student mentored by Nicole Mölders).

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistryby Bill Simpson, Department Chair

We have offered admission to 23 new undergraduate majors and pre majors and eight graduate students. Our graduating students again performed very well on the American Chemical Society Diagnostic of Undergraduate Chemical Knowledge (DUCK) exit exam, with a median score of 70% nationwide. This is the second year that we have given this examination, and again our students have signi!cantly exceeded the national norms. Way to go graduates! In the spring semester, we had !ve graduate stu-dents complete their theses (Irina Mueller, PhD; Mary Hogan, MS; Ashley Wallace, MS; Lisa Smith, MS; Todd Fortun, MS). Those !ve students along with three from last summer and two from the Fall are our ten masters and doctoral graduates for the year. We look forward to congratulating them at the 2012 commencement.

John Keller retired in the beginning of the 2012 year. We will miss his teaching, research, and leadership and will recognize his retirement at our Spring Potluck and Poster Session on May 3, 2012. We are excited to have Kriya Dunlap of!cially start her joint appointment with the department and Institute of Arctic Biology INBRE program.

In faculty news, Kelly Drew and her neurochemistry research group have successfully induced hibernation in animals for the !rst time. This work was described in a 22 Sep 2011 Popular Science article. Bill Simpson’s group and collaborators studying arctic atmospheric chemistry were featured in an article in the 5 Dec 2011 issue of Chemical and Engineering News. The work

Department UPDATES


connects air and sea ice. Marvin Schulte’s work was written up in the Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska News.

Looking forward to the next academic year, we are excited about searching for faculty to replace the retirement of John Keller. We are searching for a graduate program coordinator, who will help us to better recruit, support, and track future careers of our graduate students. This person will also improve our connection with industrial af!liates. We are refocusing our tutoring efforts into a Chemistry Learning Center that will provide supplemental instruction and tutoring for undergraduate students, particularly those in general chemistry. We are excited about helping all our students through this center.

Larry Duffy, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry will be working with the Science and Civic Engagement Western Network (SCEWestNet). The mission of the organization is to inspire, sup-port, and disseminate campus-based science education reform strategies that strengthen learning and build civic accountability among students in colleges and universities.

The project is funded through a grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation to the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. SCEWestNet will be led by David Burns, Amy Shachter, Richard Sheardy, and Amanda Moodie and will build on the work of exist-ing SENCER Centers for Innovation (SCI) West and Southwest. SCI-West, SCI-Southwest, and the SCEWestNet leadership team will work with experienced SENCER coordinators in the West to plan an effective set of seven regionally localized organizational units or network nodes:

Alaska (Larry Duffy, University of Alaska Fairbanks) Washington & Oregon (Peter J. Alaimo, Seattle University)

California, Nevada, & Arizona (Amy Shachter, Santa Clara University)

Montana, Idaho, & Wyoming (Garon Smith, University of Montana)

Utah, Colorado, & New Mexico (Gary Booth, Brigham Young University)

Hawaii (Robert Franco, Kapiolani Community College)

Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, & Louisiana (Richard Sheardy, Texas Woman’s University)

These seven nodal partners will each work with three other insti-tutions new to SENCER to establish science education curricular reform projects led by a campus team. The partners will then work with the SCIs to scale up science education reform efforts. SCEWestNet will develop a sustainable structure to overcome obstacles of scale and cost and contribute to achieving signi!-cant, lasting science education reform.

Department of Mathematics and Statistics by Tony Rickard, DMS Chair

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics (DMS) is cur-rently conducting a search for a tenure-track faculty position in statistics. We intend to have a new colleague in statistics join DMS and CNSM in August 2012.

DMS is offering 11 courses this summer. The Math Bridge Program will be offered this summer, co-directed by DMS faculty Jill Faudree and Latrice Laughlin. The program is intended to provide select students with a one week intensive experience to prepare for successful completion of MATH 107: Functions for Calculus or MATH 200: Calculus I, both offered during the !rst six-week Summer Sessions 2012.

DMS faculty encourage students to make use of the Math Lab, located in 305 Chapman. UAF students can receive assistance with all 100- and 200-level MATH and STAT courses at the Math Lab from quali!ed tutors, including evenings and weekends (see www.uaf.edu/dms for the schedule and more information about the DMS Math Lab). The DMS Math Lab will also be open throughout the summer to provide support for students taking mathematics and statistics courses during Summer Sessions 2012.

Physics Fulbright Associate Professor of Physics will travel

to South Africa as a Fulbright Scholar for the 2012 – 2013 school year where he will be visiting the Physics Department at the University of the Western Cape, in Cape Town South Africa.

Safety FirstCNSM Safety Of"cers, from left, Emily Reiter, Agatha Light, Andy Krumhardt. Photo by Kate Pendleton

SPRING 2012 13

From left: Cameron Cambell (Exxon Mobil, AAPG Paci"c Section IBA coordinator), Cheryl Sanders, Eric Hutton, Colby Wright, Ibrahim Ilhan, Niles Dixit, Cathy Hanks. Photo by Colby Wright

UAF

phot

o by

Todd

Par

is

Revised Geoscience Degree Program Offers New Options to Undergraduates

In order to offer a greater variety of courses, allow students to spe-cialize earlier, and increase the

number of undergraduate research opportunities, the Department of Geology & Geophysics is adding four options to their BS degree program in Geoscience. The options are designed to better prepare students for admission to competitive graduate programs and/or successful careers in industry, while new courses take advantage of recent faculty hires and growing departmental strengths in geophysics, tectonics, remote sensing and vertebrate paleontol-ogy. The name of the BS degree program will be changed from

to to re"ect the breadth of courses and options available within the major.

Courses requirements for each of the four options and rec-ommended 4-year plans are available from the Geology & Geophysics Department of!ce (Reichardt 308) and from faculty advisors. Current students may choose to pursue a Geology degree under the current catalog requirements or select one

of the Geoscience degree options that will appear in the 2012-2013 UAF Catalog.

The offers students a sound background in a spectrum of geological disciplines with an emphasis on cur-rent !eld mapping techniques essential to exploration and research. This option includes a new upper-division course in tectonics.

The is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to locate, excavate, interpret and curate specimens for museums, agencies or universities. The option includes new upper-division courses paleontological lab and !eld techniques and mass extinctions.

The focuses on the principles, techniques and applications of remote sensing, GIS, and GPS to prepare students for careers that require geospatial data analysis and visualization. A new 200-level course on the fun-damentals of geospatial science will be offered jointly with the Department of Geography.

The challenges students to use physics to enhance understanding of geoscience concepts, emphasizing applications in seismology, volcanology, and glaciology in the context of the Alaskan landscape. This option is for engineer-ing !elds or other disciplines that use geophysical tools such as ground penetrating radar or exploration seismology. The option includes two new upper division courses on ice in cli-mate systems and foundations of geophysics. �

SPOTLIGHT ON Geology & Geophysics

Geoscience Students Win Award

UAF geoscience graduate students

recently placed in The Imperial Barrel Award (IBA) Program, a global competition sponsored by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. was faculty advisor. Student teams from around the world receive a real dataset consisting of seismic data, well data, production infrastructure, etc. and, in eight short weeks, are asked to evaluate the oil and gas potential of the area. Each team gives a 25 minute presentation summarizing their results and recommendations to a panel of industry experts that judge each presentation based upon its technical quality, clarity, originality and teamwork.

This is the 6th Annual AAPG Imperial Barrel Award competition and the !rst year UAF participated. The team competed in the semi-regional !nals on March 23rd at Aera Energy in Bakers!eld California, where they placed third in a tough competition against San Diego State University, California State University-Long Beach, University of California-Santa Barbara

and California State University-Bakers!eld. The IBA competition gave team members an opportunity to work with real datasets, develop skills that they will use in the petroleum industry and display those skills to potential industry employers.

The UAF IBA team would like to give special thanks to their industry mentors and sponsors: and of BP and and

of Conoco Phillips. Support for travel to the IBA competition was provided by the AAPG Paci!c section, CNSM and the Department of Geology and Geophysics. �


Andrew Winkleman, Physics I chose physics at UAF not only because physics is cool, but UAF is such a great environment to study. The location is prime for unusual science demonstrations and demonstrators. Perhaps the two go together regardless, but the vibe is inviting and encouraging. I grew up in Fairbanks and at UAF, where I have become interested in not only academics

but such recreations as hiking, camping and even fencing. I am an Alaskan at heart, and I thank everyone at UAF for the opportunity and support as I continue my academic career.

Andrew Meng, Statistics With both of my parents in the Air Force, I lived and traveled abroad at a young age. By the age of seven I had lived in Singapore and the Philippines. My childhood years in Asia have given me a strong desire to understand the workings of the world. At Creighton University I majored in political science, which was one avenue in understanding the world.

The only classes I truly enjoyed were its quantitative methods courses. I moved to Fairbanks, Alaska to be with my !ance. A year after earning my B.A., I knew I wanted to become a statistician. I began taking classes at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks in order to obtain a BS in Statistics.

Sayde Ridling, Biological Sciences Insects have been a passion of mine since before I was aware that there was a science devoted to studying them. I was a UA Scholar and I was excited to discover that UAF was voted one of the top small research universities in the nation and that they offered many rare opportunities for undergrads to be involved in research. I’ve been fortunate

enough to experience real hands-on entomology work both in the lab and in the !eld. UAF’s participation in the National Student Exchange program allowed me to go to the University of Hawaii, Hilo for an entire year to experience a uniquely new and different environment complete with entomology research opportunities. I have also had the privilege of working on my own research funded by two undergraduate research grants from Alaska EPSCoR. I can easily say that staying in Alaska to take advantage of everything that UAF has to offer is one of the best decisions I ever made.

ԵԶ Outstanding Student Awards ԵԶ2012 Science Potpourri

Top and bottom, photos by Mark Conde; center, photos courtesy CNSM

SPRING 2012 15

ԵԶ Outstanding Student Awards ԵԶSamantha Davis, Geology Having always been an outdoor enthusiast, studying geology was a natural choice for me. The UAF Geology department has provided me with excellent educational opportunities in classroom settings as well as lab and !eld environments. The highlight of my educational experience was participating in the geosciences !eld camp in the

Alaska Range. I chose to attend UAF because of its strong science programs and low student to faculty ratios. Over the course of my education I have become especially interested in geospatial sciences and environmental geology. After graduation I plan to move to Juneau and am currently interviewing for jobs with environmental consulting !rms.

Kathleen Gerdes, Mathematics I am an Alaskan, born and raised. While it seems I have always wanted to become a veterinarian, I still partook in many of the opportunities my community offered, from the academic to the athletic. I participated in the academic decathlon as competitor and coach; my !rst major job was in an Avian In"uenza research laboratory; and I have raised, trained, and

shown my horses Shirley and Frostbite. Through attending UAF, I was able to continue pursuing these interests—and earn my BS in Biology and Mathematics—in addition to preparing myself for entry into veterinary school. I will start earning my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine this summer at Texas A&M University.

Jordan Ross, Chemistry and Biochemistry I’m currently pursuing a BS in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry at UAF. Through coursework I have developed a wide variety of academic interests primarily those in the area of biochemistry, physiology, and neuroscience. I chose to attend UAF because it is an excellent university with many opportunities that one can’t !nd at

a larger university; particularly the research opportunities at UAF are astounding. Also, I’m a member of the Alaska Air National Guard which makes UAF all that more attractive. Throughout my time at UAF, I’ve grown both as a student and person and feel that I am prepared to tackle the next stage of my education: medical school.

Katie Rubin, Wildlife Biology I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico but always knew that I wanted to attend university some place drastically different from home. I found UAF through a chance encounter and after visiting the school in the heart of winter, knew it was the perfect place for me to continue my education. The small school has made all the difference and the close connections

I have made with faculty over the years has been what truly made my college experience. I love the avid outdoor community that inhabits Fairbanks, and have enjoyed learning all the winter activities this unique area has to offer, especially skiing, ice climbing, and mountaineering. Upon graduation in May I plan to continue working as a rafting guide out of Talkeetna, and hopefully pursue my dream of working in Antarctica. Eventually I would like to pursue higher education in plant and animal interactions after a few years of travel.

“I was excited to

discover that UAF

was voted one of the

top small research

universities in the

nation and that

they offered many

opportunities for

undergrads to be

involved in research.”— Sayde Ridling

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PAIDFAIRBANKS, AKPERMIT NO. 2

College of Natural Science and MathematicsUniversity of Alaska FairbanksP.O. Box 755940Fairbanks, AK 99775-5940

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UAF is an af!rmative action/equal opportunity employer and educational institution.

UAF Life Sciences Facility takes shape.UAF photo by Todd Paris

Front cover photo: Bill Simpson (left) and Steve Walsh stand by the deployed IceLander-1 system with the BO-105 helicopter used for deployment in the background. See story on page 4. Photo by Guy Betts

college of natural science & mathematics - uaf home ... and with it the promise of an exciting...

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