News

UAF Students Develop Real-World Solutions for Eielson Air Force Base

March 2, 2020

UAF Honors students along with Alex Hirsch and Peter Webley meet Col. Bishop and members of the Iceman Spark Innovation Cell at Eielson AFB on February 14, 2020. Photo courtesy of Peter Webley.
UAF Honors students along with Alex Hirsch and Peter Webley meet Col. Bishop and members of the Iceman Spark Innovation Cell at Eielson AFB on February 14, 2020. Photo courtesy of Peter Webley.

On Friday, Feb. 14, UAF’s Honor College students, along with their director Alex Hirsch and OIPC faculty ambassador Peter Webley, visited the Iceman Spark Innovation Cell team at Eielson Airforce Base.UAF Honors and OIPC are collaborating with the 354th Fighter Wing’s Iceman Spark to develop solutions to problem sets proposed by the team.

The students met the 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron to better understand why fuel truck valves are freezing and discuss previously applied solutions. Additionally, the students met the 354th Security Forces Squadron to discuss procedures and solutions to Eielson's perimeter security challenges.

To end the tour, the UAF students met U.S. Air Force Col. Benjamin Bishop, 354th FW commander, to discuss what they learned during their visit, how work on their problem sets is going, and where to find more information as they continue their research.

This visit and the Honors College student projects represent a developing relationship with Eielson and the first of many exciting projects to come.

UAF would like to thank Col. Bishop and his team at the Iceman Spark Innovation Cell for hosting the students, Hirsch, and Webley as well as the 354th Logistics Readiness and Security Forces Squadrons for the time spent with the students.

This work is supported in part by the Office of Naval Research, UAF Honors College, and UAF's Office of Intellectual Property and Commercialization.

For more information on this event, please contact Peter Webley at pwwebley@alaska.edu.