Friday Focus: New year, new view: Integrating research

Jan. 6, 2023

— By Nettie La Belle-Hamer, vice chancellor for research

I love math. I always have, but it got super fun once I got into calculus, which was my gateway drug to physics. Now it is such a full blown addiction that I have created a path for myself that ensures both math and science are a part of my everyday life. I am sure most of you reading this are nodding your head and saying, “Yea! I know what you mean!”

Or, not. Stay with me anyway.

I remember the day I figured out that integrals are just fancy sums, one method of summing up the parts to find the whole. I had been doing integrals by rote processes, but not seeing the point until the day I suddenly got it. I love that about math and science – those blinding flashes of insight that come only after many hours of hard work. Totally worth it.

As the vice chancellor focused on research, I think a lot about integration of research into various disciplines, units, and activities. The blinding flash of insight is that I don’t have to create integration because it is already there! Everyone of us has research components of our daily lives to some extent. Every time you consult “the Google” you are doing research. Every time you paint a picture, write a poem, or practice your rebounds you are doing research. Exploring our world for better understanding in any way is a form of research and it is all around us. Especially here at UAF.

Research is an integral part of being human. One way to see that is to look at the outcomes of research in an academic environment. There are many outcomes of organized research, only one of which is external funding to support the work. When times are tough, as they have been for the last eight years of state budget cuts, it is easy to focus on the funds that drive our ability to pursue research. I know I am guilty of that. But, it is good to remember that pursuit of knowledge is at the heart of all research. And benefits from that knowledge come in many forms, including UAF alumni who contribute to society, publications that propagate findings, and community engagement that brings people together. 

You may not love math as I do, but I am sure you can agree with the sentiment applied to the love of your choice – art, music, cooking, design, chemistry, hockey, geology – the list is long and varied. The locus of joy may be different for each of us, but we each have something that makes us happy. The art of integration is to bring these things together, to make more than the sum of the parts. We have many great examples of this here at UAF! Mary Beth Leigh, UAF Professor of Microbiology and Arts-Humanities-Science Integration, shows how this can be done in creative and collaborative ways. Brock Anundson, UAF Athletic Director, shows that sports and science really do thrive together!

Want to see this integration in action? Come join us at the Carlson Center on Saturday, Feb. 4, for Research at the Rink! Among other things, we will have a signage and cheering friendly competition between the research units at the UAF vs. ASU game. Support the Nanooks in both hockey and research! Look for how every staff and faculty member working on research in any capacity (this means you) will have access to one free ticket to the game! Coming soon!

As we step into this new year, I encourage you to take a new view of what it means to be a research university. You may only need to look in the mirror to find the UAF researcher nearest you!

See you at the rink!

Friday Focus is written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week.