As of Jan. 1, 2012, Chris Petrich will begin work at the Northern Research Institute (Norut) in Narvik, Norway. Petrich will be working on ice-related issues as part of a team of researchers. For a start, he will continue his work on oil-in-ice and other issues of relevance to Norway, including ice loads in hydropower dams. 

In the month of October faculty, staff and students of the Geophysical Institute collected 628 pounds of non-perishable food items and $700 in monetary donations for the Fairbanks Community Food Bank. 

GI Seminar: Full-Polarimetric SAR and its applications in Agriculture, Forestry and the Detection of Natural Hazards.

Speaker: Dr. Wolfgang-Martin Boerner

Date: Thursday, November 10

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Place: Elvey Auditorium

Dr. Boerner is a Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Don't forget, next week will be full of fun Halloween activities for everyone:

Now: Nominations are being accepted for the much-coveted title of “coffin victim” at the annual GI Halloween Party. If you’d like to be ghouled out, put your name in the running – or nominate a peer – by Monday, Oct. 24. 

Pending the arrival of the new Geophysical Institute Director Bob McCoy, Vice Chancellor for Research Mark Myers has delegated authority to GI Associate Director Doug Christensen. Christensen will provide oversight and take any needed actions required of the director position including travel approval, HR and finance issues and documents.

Upon McCoy's arrival this month, Christensen's delegation will be rescinded. At that time McCoy will assume full administrative responsibilities for the GI.