Science for Alaska outreach events

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2026 Science for Alaska Summer Series

The Geophysical Institute Public Information team is pleased to partner with the visitors bureau Explore Fairbanks for the third annual Science for Alaska Summer Series. This series is a more casual version of our winter series, furthering the GI’s investment in public outreach to connect with summer visitors in an off-campus location.

All four talks are in person at the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center, 101 Dunkel St. in downtown Fairbanks. Talks start at 11:30 a.m. and last about 30 minutes with extended time for audience questions.

Talks will not be streamed to Zoom as in the winter series, but we will provide a basic Facebook livestream from the Geophysical Institute’s Facebook page.

Talk schedule, 11:30 a.m. AKDT, Saturdays:

June 13: The 2025 Tracy Arm Landslide-Tsunami, Michael West
July 11: HAARP Facility Overview & Research, Evans Callis
August 8: Alaska's Cold Winter in a Warming Climate, Rick Thoman
September 12: Fire and Ice: Launching Rockets in Alaska, Kyle McAllen

Presenter on stage in front of audience in auditorium

Ken Tape, research professor at the Geophysical Institute, speaks to a packed house at the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center. Photo by Becky Lindsey.

2026 Science for Alaska Winter Talks
(in-person and virtual)

In February 2026, the UAF Geophysical Institute presented four science talks in the UAF Schaible Auditorium (Usibelli Building, 1764 Tanana Loop).

Download the Science for Alaska 2026 poster.

The 2026 talks were:

EVENTS IN FAIRBANKS BEFORE THE SERIES STARTS:
In addition to the full-length talks, the Geophysical Institute also presented two free Science for Alaska outreach events the week before the traditional talk series:

An Afternoon of Family Science (K-12)
3-5 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 27
Nordale Education Center, 397 Hamilton Avenue
Curious about science done by Alaska researchers? Fairbanks BEST Homeschool joins the Geophysical Institute for an afternoon of exploration, hands-on activities and stargazing inside a portable planetarium. Bring your family and friends to this free event you don't want to miss!

Science for Alaska Kickoff
6:30-8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 29
The UAF Pub, 1731 S Chandalar Drive
Grab a beverage and some snacks and enjoy a storytelling evening featuring five short, engaging, image-based talks about space physics, the Denali fault, fieldwork in Antarctica, earthquake early warning systems in Alaska and wildfire mapping.

For more information, email uaf-gi-public-info@alaska.edu or call 907-474-5229.

Thank you to our generous sponsors, the Triplehorn Family and Lifewater Engineering Company, for supporting UAF science outreach through the lecture series.

About Science for Alaska:

Science for Alaska is one of the largest public outreach efforts undertaken each year by the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

For over 30 years, the series has brought current scientific research to communities throughout the state. Administrators, faculty, staff and the public weigh in on possibilities for speakers and topics to be included in the popular lecture series. The result is a well-rounded event that pools expertise from scientists studying in various locales in Alaska, on topics as diverse as satellites to beavers.

Science for Alaska has grown tremendously since its inception in the early 1990s. Today, lectures are offered in Fairbanks and online, as well as on DVDs that are accessible through the Alaska library system. New science outreach events bring local research to Fairbanks K-12 audiences.