FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Since University of Alaska Fairbanks is the only American university based in the Arctic, it’s only logical that students in disciplines across the board conduct research based in the circumpolar north. In anticipation of the upcoming International Polar Year (IPY), a group of young scientists at University of Alaska Fairbanks have formed an IPY Young Researchers Network (IPY YRN) with the hopes of spreading the word about the exciting potential of this historic event.

While the volunteer IPY YRN is comprised of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows representing a variety of disciplines, the members felt the need to “Think Globally, and Act Locally.” 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 Café - a series of informal discussions; “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 IPY YRN has a presence on the Web at http://ipy-youth.uaf.edu/. The group will next meet on Jan. 18. For more on the overall IPY effort at UAF, go to www.uaf.edu/ipy/.

CONTACT:
Derek Mueller and Jeremy Harbeck, IPY YRN co-chairs: (907) 474-5382, dmueller [at] gi [dot] alaska [dot] edu, jharbeck [at] gi [dot] alaska [dot] edu.
Matthew Druckenmiller, IPY YRN member: (907) 474-1156, ftmld [at] uaf [dot] edu.