UAF announces Science for Alaska Lecture Series lineup

January 29, 2021

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute will host a series of free virtual public talks on topics that include measuring the aurora, monitoring whale populations with unmanned aircraft and participating in the largest Arctic expedition in history.

The 2021 Science for Alaska Lecture Series begins Tuesday, Feb. 2, and runs through March 9. Lectures start at 7 p.m. on Zoom and will be streamed live to the UAF and Geophysical Institute Facebook pages. Presenters will answer questions after each talk.

For 29 years, the Geophysical Institute has hosted the lecture series as one of its largest public outreach efforts.

The series brings current scientific research to Alaskans in an event that pools knowledge from scientists with expertise across the state.

Lectures will be recorded and shared online, as well as on DVDs accessible through the Alaska library system.

The 2021 lectures and dates are:

Feb 2: "Going With the Floe: A Year Adrift in the Arctic Ice Pack," Melinda Webster, research assistant professor, UAF

Feb. 9: "Beyond the Lights: Measuring the Magnetic Aurora," Carl Tape, associate professor, and Don Hampton, research associate professor, UAF

Feb. 16: "Venus, Volcanoes and More: UAF Graduate Student Research Stories," UAF graduate students

Feb. 23: "Tectonic Social Distancing Along the Denali Fault," Sean Regan, assistant professor, UAF

March 2: "Whale Watchers: Novel Uses for Unmanned Aircraft," the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration team, UAF

March 9: "Firewatch: Fire Landscapes from Air and Space," Christine Waigl, postdoctoral researcher, and Jennifer Delamere, research associate professor, UAF

For registration and other information, including videos of previous talks, visit https://www.gi.alaska.edu/events/science-alaska-lecture-series or the Geophysical Institute Facebook page.

The 2021 Science for Alaska Lecture Series is sponsored by Lifewater Engineering and Class 5 Boatworks, the Alaska National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, the NASA Space Science Education Consortium and the Geophysical Institute.