Young scientists form group for International Polar Year
by Kathleen McCoy |
In anticipation of the upcoming International Polar Year, a group of young scientists
at UAF have formed a University of Alaska IPY Young Researchers Network (UA IPY YRN)
with the hopes of getting involved in this exciting historic event.
The group will next meet on Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. in the West Ridge Research Building,
room 101. The network is looking for involvement from fellow young researchers from
any of the UA campuses. Teleconferencing will be provided on request to those outside
of Fairbanks.
The volunteer network is comprised of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows
representing a variety of disciplines. While many of the students are from areas far
from Fairbanks, the members felt the need to "Think Globally, and Act Locally." To
that end, the ideas of engaging Alaskans outside the university in IPY activities
and creating a lasting legacy for future generations are behind the group's proposed
projects, which include Science Caf茅 - a series of informal science discussions for
the public; Project Snowball, in which schoolchildren across Alaska will analyze snow
chemistry; and Wildlife Day by Day, which will put young researchers in contact with
local people throughout rural Alaska to share information and data about the state's
various migrating wildlife - many species of which are being affected by climate change
and development in the Arctic. The group is also developing an overarching synthesis
project that promotes life and science in the North through interdisciplinary and
cross-cultural partnerships.
The UA IPY YRN has a presence on the Web at http://ipy-youth.uaf.edu/. For more on
the overall IPY effort at UAF, go to www.uaf.edu/ipy/. Those interested in arranging
to attend the meeting remotely should contact:
鈥� Derek Mueller and Jeremy Harbeck, IPY YRN co-chairs: (907) 474-5382, dmueller@gi.alaska.edu,
jharbeck@gi.alaska.edu.
-or-
鈥� Matthew Druckenmiller, IPY YRN member: (907) 474-1156, ftmld@uaf.edu.