Oceanographer honored for 50 years of service to arctic science

Submitted by Carin Bailey
Phone: 907-322-8730
09/26/07

As an undergraduate studying geophysics in Philadelphia in the 1950s, John Kelley knew he wanted to learn more about the far north.

Fifty years later, Kelley has been recognized for helping countless scientists and members of the public learn about Alaska and the polar regions. Yesterday, he was presented with an award for advancing science in the Arctic at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Arctic Division annual meeting, also known as the Arctic Science Conference.

A professor of chemical oceanography in UAF’s School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Kelley’s research focuses on trace metals, atmospheric gases and contaminants in marine environments, including the study of residual radioactive materials in the region of Alaska’s Amchitka Island, where underground nuclear tests were conducted in the 1960s. He also studies marine acoustics and teaches a course on marine mammals and underwater noise. Kelley joined UAF in 1968.

"John has had so much impact across the board, especially on science education and the inclusion of more Alaska Natives in marine science," said Lawrence Duffy, executive secretary of the Arctic Division AAAS and the interim dean of the UAF Graduate School.

For the past 25 years, Kelley has encouraged minority and especially Alaska Native students to pursue careers in science, math and engineering.

The award also recognizes Kelley’s long-time service as a member of multiple professional societies. He is the president of the AAAS Arctic Division and the chair of the planning committee for this year’s Arctic Science Conference. Kelley is a regional director and a former president of Sigma Xi, a scientific research society with more than 60,000 members worldwide.

"He is remarkably dedicated to his convictions of service to others," said Gary Laursen, the master of ceremonies for the Arctic Science Conference and an instructor in UAF’s biology and wildlife department.

Kelley received his bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Nagoya, Japan. He has also served as the director of the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory, headquartered in Barrow, Alaska. From 1989 to 1995, Kelley was the director of the National Science Foundation’s Polar Ice Coring Office. He has also chaired the North Slope Borough Science Advisory Committee since its founding in 1980.

"John has become an important mentor to so many, including myself," added Laursen.

The UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences conducts world-class marine and fisheries research, education and outreach across Alaska, the Arctic and Antarctic. More than 60 faculty scientists and 160 graduate and undergraduate students are engaged in building knowledge about Alaska and the world’s coastal and marine ecosystems. SFOS is headquartered at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and serves the state from facilities located in Seward, Juneau, Anchorage and Kodiak.