Staff members with the Alaska and Polar Regions Collection at the Rasmuson Library work with elders from the Koyukuk River villages of Huslia, Hughes and Allakaket identifying subjects in old photos recently added to the library's collection.. UAF Photo by Todd Paris

Welcome to 'History Gems'

 

... your gateway to celebrating the rich accomplishments of our faculty, students, and alumni. From groundbreaking research and historical publications to prestigious awards and impactful projects, stay informed about the latest developments and achievements in the field of history.

 

sidebar menu toggle button History Gems

  • Political strategist Donna Brazile and political commentator and journalist Kurt Bardella on the stage during the 2024 Rancho Mirage Writers Festival. Photo credit: Jennifer Yount Photography.

    Where Writers Meet: Rancho Mirage Writers Festival

    December 15, 2024

    Four CLA representatives are heading to the sold-out Rancho Mirage Writers Festival, thanks to a generous donor. A transformative experience awaits!

  • University of Alaska history professor Tyler Kirk in Syktyvkar, a city in the Russia’s Komi Republic, in 2016. Kirk was doing research as a Fulbright Scholar for his recently published book “After the Gulag.” (Photo provided by Tyler Kirk)

    Book Talk with Tyler Kirk

    October 29, 2024

    Tyler Kirk explores memory in Russia's Far North after the Gulag in a Kennan Institute book talk on Oct 30. Register for the webinar link to attend.

  • Paul Sabin. Image courtesy of Sabin.

    From NIMBY to YIMBY

    October 10, 2024

    Join Yale's Paul Sabin for an insightful talk on environmental politics, climate change, and community participation. Zoom or in-person at GRUE 614E. Oct 16, 10:30 PM.

  • A grid of headshots of some of the 2023-2024 promoted and/or tenured UAF faculty

    AY23-24 Promotion and/or Tenure Recipients

    September 13, 2024

    Congratulations to our outstanding faculty members who earned promotions or tenure during AY 23-24! Your dedication and achievements inspire our entire community.

  • Neall Pogue, courtesy of Neall Pogue

    Bridging Academia and Public Discourse with New Publications

    August 24, 2024

    Congrats to Neall Pogue, Assistant Professor of American History, for his recent publications: an overview in Politics and Rights Review and an article in Premier Christianity.

  • Painted polar bear by Todd Sherman

    2023-2024 Outstanding Students of the Year

    May 01, 2024

    Join us in congratulating the College of Liberal Arts' 2023-2024 Outstanding Students of the Year!

  • Tyler Kirk holding his book After the Gulag: A History of Memory in Russia's Far North

    After the Gulag

    February 15, 2024

    Join us for the book launch and discussion with author Tyler Kirk on February 29, 2024.

  • head and shoulders portrait of a woman outside

    UAF's 2023 Legacy Lecture to feature author, historian Mary Ehrlander

    May 26, 2023

    The University of Alaska Fairbanks 2023 Legacy Lecture will honor author and professor emeritus Mary Ehrlander. The lecture is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, June 5, in the BP Design Theater, Room 401 of the Usibelli Building.

  • Video still from Al Jazeera English on Tuesday, March 22, 2023.

    Al Jazeera asks UAF's Phil Wight about the Willow Decision

    April 07, 2023

    Phil Wight, Assistant Professor of History and Arctic & Northern Studies made a live national TV appearance when he spoke with Al Jazeera English about the Willow decision on Tuesday, March 22, 2023.

  • A woman holds a moose skull with antlers on one shoulder while standing in a shallow stream. Another woman sits with a paddle in an inflatable canoe nearby.

    Ancient moose antlers hint of early arrival

    December 02, 2022

    When a great deal of Earth's water was locked up within mountains of ice, our ancestors scampered across a dry corridor from what is today Siberia over to Alaska. Those adventurous souls may have been accompanied by another creature that needed wood -- the moose.

  • A woman sits behind a table covered with fossil bones. Shelves behind and around her hold plastic storage tubs and more specimens. A few antlers and skulls hang on a wall.

    Secrets of an ancient horse of the Yukon

    August 12, 2022

    In the lab of Yukon government paleontologists are the remains of saber-toothed cats, bears with boxy faces that stood 8 feet tall, woolly mammoths and sloths the size of gorillas. Of all these time-hardened riches of the past, Elizabeth Hall has a cherished piece -- the fragment of a horse's foreleg that fits in the palm of her hand.