IARC to celebrate 10th anniversary

Submitted by Marmian Grimes
Phone: 907-474-7902
09/23/08

The International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will host an open house to celebrate its 10th anniversary Friday, Sept. 26 at noon in the lobby of the Akasofu Building on the UAF campus. The public is invited to attend.

IARC was founded a decade ago after Syun-Ichi Akasofu, then director of the Geophysical Institute, found the institute was so crowded that he couldn’t promise office space to new scientists. What began as an expansion of the Geophysical Institute’s Elvey Building evolved into a new research center. Akasofu envisioned IARC as a place where the world’s scientists would work together on the issue of global change.

"The Arctic plays a crucial role in climate change and synthesizing arctic research is the best way to study climate change," said Akasofu, the center’s founding director. Akasofu retired last year.

IARC director Larry Hinzman will begin the open house with a short ceremony, including a presentation of the center’s new mission statement and logo. Other speakers include Akasofu; Buck Sharpton, UAF vice chancellor for research; Provost Susan Henrichs; and John Walsh, President’s Professor of Climate Change and IARC chief scientist.

After the ceremony, visitors are welcome to walk through the building and learn about ongoing research projects. The National Weather Service office and the map office will also be open to the public during the open house.

CONTACT: Marmian Grimes, UAF public information officer, at 907-474-7902 or via e-mail at marmian.grimes@uaf.edu.

KCK/9-23-08/038ma-09