Faculty and students in the Seismology and Geodesy research group spend the bulk of their time at the Geophysical Institute, although all are affiliated with the UAF Department of Geology & Geophysics. Graduate students benefit from the academic structure of the department, combined with the research freedom the Geophysical Institute affords.

Geophysical Institute research spans space physics to glaciology to climate science. The institute is located in the Elvey Building and is contiguous with the buildings that house the International Arctic Research Center and the Arctic Region Supercomputing Center. The institute maintains close collaborations with both centers.

The Geophysical Institute is located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. There is an extensive trail system next to the institute that is maintained for running and cycle use in the summer. In the winter, the trails are lighted and professionally groomed for cross-country skiing. Geophysical Institute students are active outdoors and often take advantage of Alaska’s limitless wilderness opportunities, often in conjunction with their research. As the second largest city in the state, Fairbanks combines the conveniences and cultural resources of a larger city with the wilds of Interior Alaska.