Research centers reorganization
September 14, 2012
From Mark Myers, Vice Chancellor for Research, and Susan Henrichs, Provost
UAF is internally restructuring four research centers, enabling more efficient coordination
of extensive climate studies, observations and modeling analyses. In particular, the
Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning, the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy, the Alaska Fire Science Consortium, and the Geographic Information Network of Alaska have been administratively shifted into the International Arctic Research Center. Larry Hinzman is the director of IARC.
SNAP, ACCAP and AFSC were previously associated with the School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences and the Institute of Northern Engineering, while GINA had been associated with the Center for Research Services.
This administrative restructuring is intended to better align climate programs, enabling
researchers to more efficiently share tools and resources and more effectively respond
to the information needs of our state and nation. There will be no overt changes to
the mission or staff of each center. Scott Rupp will continue to serve as director
of SNAP, Sarah Trainor as director of ACCAP and AFSC, and Tom Heinrichs as director
of GINA. Each of these units possesses unique talents, mandates and missions; a more
formal alignment is expected to greatly expand abilities to understand arctic processes
and to communicate this knowledge to the public, state and federal agencies as well
as other researchers. This realignment will enhance existing partnerships among these
very strong and successful research entities and will expand ongoing programs, create
new capabilities and respond to future research opportunities.