Graduate and Undergraduate Students Present Research Results

Submitted by Carla Browning
Phone: (907) 474-7778
04/23/03

Graduate and undergraduate research projects are the focus of presentations at the University of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center on Thursday, April 24, 2003.

Undergraduate students tackled research projects as diverse as remote-controlled parachutes for geophysical studies in Alaska, interpreting voter choices on ballot propositions, behavioral thermoregulation in Arctic ground squirrels, sedimentological evaluation of Siberian soils and the challenges of grandparents raising grandchildren.

"This is one of several programs that UAF has instituted to encourage undergraduate students to become more involved in UAF’s research programs," said Ted DeLaca, UAF vice provost for research.

Undergraduate posters will be on display April 24, 2003 from 2-4 p.m. in IARC 501.

In addition, there will be a formal presentation of sustainability plans developed by students in UAF’s new graduate program in Regional Resilience and Adaptation. The program is designed to train scholars, policy-makers and managers to address issues of regional sustainability or sustain desirable features of Earth’s ecosystems and society during a time of rapid change.

Students will present three plans on Thursday, April 24 in IARC 401. These plans have been developed at three scales: the Fairbanks plan (local scale) at 2 p.m., Alaska plan (regional scale) at 3 p.m. and the circumpolar plan (global scale) at 4 p.m.

Funding for these projects was provided through the offices of the provost and sponsored programs, Williams Alaska Petroleum, Inc., the International Arctic Research Center and the Alaska Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

CONTACT: Ted DeLaca at (907) 474-7314 or e-mail: fnted@uaf.edu, or Terry Chapin, IGERT coordinator at (907) 474-7922 or e-mail: terry.chapin@uaf.edu. Visit http://www.regional-resilience.uaf.edu for more information on the IGERT program.