Short Takes: People and programs at UAF

Submitted by Marmian Grimes
Phone: (907) 474-7778
03/08/06

UAF dispatcher volunteers in New Orleans

University of Alaska Fairbanks dispatcher Vanessa Keeslar was among dispatchers from across the country who volunteered their time to provide stress de-briefings to New Orleans parish dispatchers in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Her trip was a part of a 911 CARES-sponsored trip, which brought together a group of 400 Louisiana and Mississippi dispatchers for a night of recognition and praise for their dutiful service.

CLA professor named social worker of the year

Gerry Berman, a professor of social work and sociology in the UAF College of Liberal Arts, is the 2005 recipient of the Alaska Statewide Social Worker of the Year award. He was also nominated for the National Association of Social Workers’ National Lifetime Achievement Award for 2005.

Recipients of Schaible Memorial Fund announced

Three members of the UAF College of Liberal Arts have received 2005-2006 awards from the Arthur J. Schaible Memorial Cultural Enrichment Fund. These grants will support three events at UAF this year. Glenn White of the music department was awarded $2,000 to bring Jamie Baum to perform at the UAF Jazz Festival April 20 22, 2006. Qwynten Richards of the Women’s Center was awarded $2,000 to bring Canadian singer/songwriter Leela Gilday to Fairbanks for a performance on March 24, 2006. Mary Goodwin of the art department was awarded $1,500 to bring Matthew Drutt to UAF to give a lecture on contemporary art Dec. 12, 2006. All events will be open to the public.

Society of Physics Students recognizes UAF chapter

The UAF chapter of the Society of Physics Students was selected as an outstanding SPS chapter for the 20042005 school year. Less than 10 percent of the SPS chapters nationwide earn this designation. The selection is based on each chapter’s depth and breadth of SPS activities. To see what other chapters are doing, visit the SPS website at http://www.spsnational.org"

UAF graduate student honored for outstanding paper

The Earth and Space Science Informatics Focus Group of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) has recognized UAF graduate student Thomas Oommen for his paper, "GIS Analysis of Marine Geophysical Signatures to Decipher Depositional Patterns of Platinum Placer in Offshore Goodnews Bay Region, Alaska." He received an Outstanding Student Paper Award for his presentation of the paper at the fall 2005 meeting of the AGU.

UAF student to represent Alaska in model House of Representatives

UAF graduate student David Parks has been selected to serve as a student representative for the state of Alaska in the inaugural U.S. Model House of Representatives which will take place on Capitol Hill, April 1721, 2006. Parks holds a bachelor’s degree in political science, with a minor in Alaska Native studies, from the University of Alaska Anchorage, and is slated to graduate from UAF in May with a master’s degree in rural development.

Contact: Marmian Grimes, public information officer at (907) 474-7902 or e-mail marmian.grimes@uaf.edu for more information.