2022 award recipients

Margaret Darrow
UAF photo by Leif Van Cise
Margaret Darrow is the 2022 recipient of the Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching Award.

Dr. Margaret Darrow

2022 Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching Award

WHEREAS Dr. Margaret Darrow has served the University of Alaska Fairbanks with distinction since 2008; and, as a teacher of geological engineering, she receives superlative reviews from students for leading unforgettable field trips, for her personalized attention to student needs and for her high standards for written materials; and

WHEREAS Dr. Darrow, after earning her bachelor's degree in geology at the University of Washington, spent almost a decade teaching, both as a secondary teacher in rural Alaska and as a UAF graduate assistant while earning a master's in geology and a bachelor's in geological engineering; and she worked as a geotechnical engineering assistant for the State of Alaska while earning her doctorate at UAF; and

WHEREAS Dr. Darrow not only has been the principal advisor for thirteen master's students but also has guided nearly two dozen undergraduate students in the conduct of high-quality research;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the University of Alaska Fairbanks takes great pride in the achievements and contributions of its faculty, and extends its sincere appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Margaret Darrow; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the university, in recognizing the extraordinary excellence in teaching demonstrated by Dr. Margaret Darrow, bestows upon her the Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching Award on this twenty-ninth day of April, 2022.

 
Uma Bhatt
UAF photo by Leif Van Cise
Uma Bhatt is the 2022 recipient of the Emil Usibelli Distinguished Research Award.

Dr. Uma Bhatt

2022 Emil Usibelli Distinguished Research Award

WHEREAS Dr. Uma Bhatt has served the University of Alaska Fairbanks with distinction since 1998; and her multifaceted investigations have made her an international leader in climate research; and

WHEREAS Dr. Bhatt earned bachelor's degrees in mechanical engineering and Russian from the University of Pittsburgh and master's and doctorate degrees in atmospheric sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and at UAF, during just the past five years, she has published 57 peer-reviewed papers while leading or co-leading research projects with grant funding of nearly $24 million; and

WHEREAS Dr. Bhatt's wide-ranging efforts include creation of high-resolution climate data across Alaska, development of methods to predict sea ice extent, explanation of changes in tundra vegetation and creation of methods to seasonally forecast wildland fire conditions, all of which contribute knowledge useful to scientists, resource managers and industries;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the University of Alaska Fairbanks takes great pride in the achievements and contributions of its faculty, and extends its sincere appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Uma Bhatt; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the university, in recognizing the extraordinary excellence in research demonstrated by Dr. Uma Bhatt, bestows upon her the Emil Usibelli Distinguished Research Award on this twenty-ninth day of April, 2022.

 
Syndonia Bret-Harte
UAF photo by Leif Van Cise
Syndonia Bret-Harte is the 2022 recipient of the Emil Usibelli Distinguished Service Award.

Dr. M. Syndonia Bret-Harte

2022 Emil Usibelli Distinguished Service Award

WHEREAS Dr. M. Syndonia Bret-Harte has served the University of Alaska Fairbanks with distinction since 1998 and has been a key driver in the success of the UAF Institute of Arctic Biology's Toolik Field Station, now recognized as a world-class facility serving Arctic scientists; and

WHEREAS Dr. Bret-Harte earned her doctorate in biology at Stanford University; and at UAF she has been a highly productive scientist and faculty member while serving as Toolik's associate science director and science co-director; and

WHEREAS Dr. Bret-Harte has contributed to every major decision about Toolik Field Station for the past two decades, during which the station attracted $50 million in U.S. and European funding; has enthusiastically conveyed the station's importance for Arctic science to policymakers, agency leaders and the public; and has served as a reviewer for multiple academic journals and science initiatives, and on The Nature Conservancy's Alaska chapter board;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the University of Alaska Fairbanks takes great pride in the achievements and contributions of its faculty, and extends its sincere appreciation and gratitude to Dr. M. Syndonia Bret-Harte; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the university, in recognizing the extraordinary excellence in service demonstrated by Dr. M. Syndonia Bret-Harte, bestows upon her the Emil Usibelli Distinguished Service Award on this twenty-ninth day of April, 2022.