Christi Bell (she/her)

Affiliate Staff
Innovation and Strategy Officer

UAF Alaska Critical Minerals Collaborative

Email: cabell2@alaska.edu

Expertise

• Critical Minerals
• Nuclear
• Policy and Global Applications
• Technical Assistance

BIO

Christi Bell is the innovation and strategy officer for the Alaska Critical Minerals Collaborative at UAF. Bell is a seasoned economic and energy development leader with over three decades of experience empowering communities through innovative solutions. As a founding member of the Idaho National Laboratory’s Emerging Energy Market Analysis, Bell has been instrumental in advancing pathways for deploying advanced nuclear technologies. Her work supports energy resilience in remote, industrial and Arctic settings, bridging research with actionable strategies.

Bell previously oversaw a portfolio of programs, including the Alaska Small Business Development Center, Alaska Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Cooperative Development Center, Center for Economic Development, APEX Accelerator, Applied Environmental Research Center and the Center for Strategic Partnerships and Research. Under her leadership, these initiatives address Alaska’s unique challenges while fostering economic growth and community resiliency.

With master’s degrees in natural resources management and business administration, Bell’s expertise spans advanced energy systems, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration. She has contributed to the INL Frontiers Initiative, focusing on energy innovation for Alaska, Wyoming, Utah and Idaho. Bell is a respected advocate for sustainable development, and her work emphasizes the integration of advanced nuclear technologies to address global energy needs.

Outside of work, Bell enjoys Alaska’s outdoors with her family and their dogs.