UAF to host AAAS Arctic Division conference
UAF to host AAAS Arctic Division conference
Submitted by Marmian Grimes
Phone: (907) 474-7902
09/07/06
More than 200 scientists are expected to attend the AAAS Arctic Division annual conference in Fairbanks, Alaska Oct. 2-4, 2006.
The conference will include presentations by international researchers both on the current state of the Arctic and on observations and evaluations of arctic change: the changing physical environment, social and economic changes, and natural resources. Sessions will focus on recent discoveries, their interpretation and policy implications, and will include the perspectives of multiple disciplines, from economics to geophysics. Plenary topics and symposia will include physical, ecological, socioeconomic and cultural conditions in the Arctic.
Another highlight of the event will be a special session on the International Polar Year, a two-year event which begins in March 2007. IPY is an international event that will focus research efforts and public attention on the Earth’s polar regions. The AAAS Arctic Division conference is one of the nation’s largest gatherings of Arctic science experts, many of whom will be active participants in the International Polar Year.
Conference speakers include Karsten Klepsvik of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Patricia Cochran of the Alaska Native Science Commission and Inuit Circumpolar Council, David Carlson of the IPY Programme Office, British Antarctic Survey and Jerry Brown of the International Permafrost Association.
Conference sessions will take place at the Westmark Hotel in downtown Fairbanks. A block of rooms, at a special conference rate, is being held for attendees. The conference will include an opening evening reception and art exhibit at the newly expanded UA Museum of the North on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Further information is available at the conference website at http://arctic.aaas.org. A schedule of the sessions and presentations is available upon request. Press should register with the UAF Office of University Relations.
Contact: Marmian Grimes, public information officer, at (907) 474-7902 or via e-mail at marmian.grimes@uaf.edu. Carla Browning, media relations manager, at (907) 474-7778 or via e-mail at carla.browning@uaf.edu.
About AAAS Arctic Division: The Arctic Division takes a leadership role in promoting interdisciplinary activities, education and communication among scientists, the public, researchers, graduate students, resource managers, business leaders, rural residents and Alaska Natives.