Cornerstone: July 29, 2022

Friday Focus: Leadership is all about balance

In a recent team-building meeting with the University of Alaska Fairbanks core leadership team (the Vice Chancellors, Executive Director for Advancement Taber and Executive Officer Conley), we each were given a set of five cards, each with one word on it. The words ranged from positive to negative with words such as cheerful, supportive, and toxic. We were each to choose a word that described our current state. In my deck of five was the word “balance.”

Two people stand on either side of a polar bear mascot, with a giant inflatable polar bear behind them.

UAF Day at the fair scheduled for Aug. 2

The University of Alaska Fairbanks will host UAF Day at the Tanana Valley State Fair on Tuesday, Aug. 2. UAF employees, students, alumni and friends will receive $1 off admission by wearing UAF apparel or showing their PolarExpress card. The day will include UAF activities throughout the fairgrounds.

Study aims to reduce fuel oil use in remote Arctic homes

Researchers will study whether heaters that store renewable electric energy might substantially reduce fuel oil burned in remote Arctic homes, under a new project led by a University of Alaska Fairbanks team. Curtailing fuel oil use in this way, along with energy efficiency improvements, could cut household energy costs and carbon emissions.

Deadlines and reminders

Free Motivational Interviewing workshop

This in-person workshop held Aug. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., facilitated by Dr. Elizabeth D’Amico, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, focuses on using Motivational Interviewing with Alaska Native youth. Participants can earn Continuing Education credits for the course and get a free lunch by registering no later than Aug. 3.

S.T. Lee Lecture: Climate solutions for Pacific Island resilience

Join the International Arctic Research Center Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, from 9-10 a.m. in room 401 of the Akasofu Building or online for an S.T. Lee Lecture on climate solutions for Pacific Island resilience by visiting scientist Laura Brewington. Brewington is from the East-West Center at Arizona State University. She will share an introduction to the Pacific Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments program, one of 11 NOAA RISA programs in the United States focused on regional climate science and adaptation.

UAF debuts two energy-focused edX courses

UAF is launching two new online non-credit courses that are free to members of the public. The self-paced courses, both focused on different aspects of energy systems, are offered through UAF's edX partnership and will be available on the AlaskaX platform.