The 2026 Gold Ceremony took place Friday evening, May 1. The event featured the student awards, Ph.D. hooding ceremony, honoring emeriti, and presentation of special awards. Photo by Eric Engman
The 2026 Gold Ceremony took place Friday evening, May 1. The event featured the student awards, Ph.D. hooding ceremony, honoring emeriti, and presentation of special awards. Photo by Eric Engman
Chancellor Mike Sfraga welcomes attendees and participants to the 2026 Gold Ceremony Friday, May 1. Photo by Eric Engman
Chancellor Mike Sfraga welcomes attendees and participants to the 2026 Gold Ceremony Friday, May 1. Photo by Eric Engman
Jason Ahrns receives his hood from Chancellor Sfraga and Interim Provost Charlene Sterm while CNSM Dean Karsten Huffer and Don Hampton look on. Photo by Eric Engman
Jason Ahrns receives his hood from Chancellor Sfraga and Interim Provost Charlene Sterm while CNSM Dean Karsten Huffer and Don Hampton look on. Photo by Eric Engman
Mario Angarita Vargas with Chancellor Sfraga and Interim Provost Charlene Sterm while CNSM Dean Karsten Huffer and Ronni Grapenthin look on. Photo by Eric Engman
Mario Angarita Vargas with Chancellor Sfraga and Interim Provost Charlene Sterm while CNSM Dean Karsten Huffer and Ronni Grapenthin look on. Photo by Eric Engman
Cecilia Borries-Strigle with Chancellor Sfraga and Interim Provost Charlene Sterm while CNSM Dean Karsten Huffer and Uma Bhatt look on. Photo by Eric Engman
Cecilia Borries-Strigle with Chancellor Sfraga and Interim Provost Charlene Sterm while CNSM Dean Karsten Huffer and Uma Bhatt look on. Photo by Eric Engman
Nealey Sims with Chancellor Sfraga and Interim Provost Charlene Sterm while CNSM Dean Karsten Huffer and Carl Tape look on. Photo by Eric Engman
Nealey Sims with Chancellor Sfraga and Interim Provost Charlene Sterm while CNSM Dean Karsten Huffer and Carl Tape look on. Photo by Eric Engman
Austin Smith with Chancellor Sfraga and Interim Provost Charlene Sterm while CNSM Dean Karsten Huffer, Peter Delamere and Doğacan Öztürk look on. Photo by Eric Engma
Austin Smith with Chancellor Sfraga and Interim Provost Charlene Sterm while CNSM Dean Karsten Huffer, Peter Delamere and Doğacan Öztürk look on. Photo by Eric Engman
Tianlan Zhao with Chancellor Sfraga and Interim Provost Charlene Sterm while CNSM Dean Karsten Huffer and Jingquiu Mao look on. Photo by Eric Engma
Tianlan Zhao with Chancellor Sfraga and Interim Provost Charlene Sterm while CNSM Dean Karsten Huffer and Jingquiu Mao look on. Photo by Eric Engma
Chancellor Mike Sfraga congratulates Don Hampton on his appointment as Research Professor of Space Physics, Emeritus. Photo by Eric Engman
Chancellor Mike Sfraga congratulates Don Hampton on his appointment as Research Professor of Space Physics, Emeritus. Photo by Eric Engman
Chancellor Mike Sfraga and Science Writer Emeritus Ned Rozell. Photo by Eric Engman
Chancellor Mike Sfraga and Science Writer Emeritus Ned Rozell. Photo by Eric Engman
After the Gold Ceremony all of the new Ph.D.s assembled in the UAF Great Hall. Photo by Eric Engman
Emeritus Associate Professor of Yup'ik Language Stephen "Walkie" Charles and Emeritus Science Writer Ned Rozell paused for a photograph in the UAF Great Hall after the May 1 Gold Ceremony. Photo by LJ Evans
Emeritus Associate Professor of Yup'ik Language Stephen "Walkie" Charles and Emeritus Science Writer Ned Rozell paused for a photograph in the UAF Great Hall after the May 1 Gold Ceremony. Photo by LJ Evans
Laura Connor and Uma Bhatt conversed during the reception for honorees following the Gold Ceremony May 1. Photo by Eric Engman
Laura Connor and Uma Bhatt conversed during the reception for honorees following the Gold Ceremony May 1. Photo by Eric Engman
Outgoing University of Alaska President Pat Pitney addressed the graduates, emeriti, faculty and guests at UAF's 105th commencement ceremony Saturday, May 2, 2026. Photo by JR Ancheta
Outgoing University of Alaska President Pat Pitney addressed the graduates, emeriti, faculty and guests at UAF's 105th commencement ceremony Saturday, May 2, 2026. Photo by JR Ancheta
UAF graduates, emeriti, faculty and guests assembled in the Carlson Center for UAF's 105th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Photo by Eric Engman
UAF graduates, emeriti, faculty and guests assembled in the Carlson Center for UAF's 105th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Photo by Eric Engman
The 2026 UAF commencement ceremony blue and gold balloon drop engulfs the audience. Photo by JR Ancheta
The 2026 UAF commencement ceremony blue and gold balloon drop engulfs the audience. Photo by JR Ancheta
The leaders of the recessional departing the Carlson Center from the 2026 105th commencement ceremony had to wade through a sea of blue and gold balloons. Photo by Eric Engman
The leaders of the recessional departing the Carlson Center from the 2026 105th commencement ceremony had to wade through a sea of blue and gold balloons. Photo by Eric Engman
For many years the tradition at UAF's commencement ceremonies is for the faculty to line up on either side to applaud as all of the graduates depart the venue. Photo by JR Ancheta
For many years the tradition at UAF's commencement ceremonies is for the faculty to line up on either side to applaud as all of the graduates depart the venue. Photo by JR Ancheta

Congratulations, 2026 graduates and honorees!

May 06, 2026

Congratulations, UAF graduates, and here's to your next adventure! We've created a photo gallery to celebrate our Geophysical Institute-affiliated graduates and honorees. You've been such an integral part of the GI's accomplishments and research, we can't wait to see the great things you'll do.

More information is available online about UAF's 105th Commencement, including a profile of the Class of 2026 listing the names of all graduates, prize winners, speakers, honorary degree recipients and faculty receiving emeritus status.

Congratulations to Don Hampton of the Space Physics and Aeronomy group and Ned Rozell, GI science writer and author of the Alaska Science Forum column, for being honored with emeritus status at the Gold Ceremony, Friday, May 1, 2026.

Congratulations also to ALL of the GI graduates!  Here are the names and advisors for all the doctoral graduates affiliated with the GI who graduated within the last year: Michael Jason Ahrns, Advisor: Donald L. Hampton; Mario Fernando Angarita Vargas, Advisor: Ronni Grapenthin; Cecilia Borries-Strigle, Advisor: Uma Bhatt; James Raemond Campbell, Advisor: Jingqiu Mao; Julian Dann, Advisor: Simon Zwieback and Bob Bolton; Satyaki Das, Advisor: Richard Collins; Victor Devaux-Chupin, Advisor: Martin Truffer; Emily Jo Graves, Advisor: Ronni Grapenthin; Aakash Gupta, Advisor: Carl Tape, Amanda Michelle McPherson, Advisor: Carl Tape; Nealey E. Sims, Advisor: Carl Tape; Austin Robert Smith, Advisors: Peter Delamere and Doga Ozturk; Darren Tan, Advisor: David Fee; Valerie Kelly Wasser, Advisor: Taryn Lopez; Tianlang Zhao, Advisor: Jingqiu Mao.

Here are all of the master's degree recipients affiliated with the GI who graduated within the last year: Grace Angivran Moore-Anderson, M.A., Indigenous Studies; Daniel S. Baer, M.S., Chemistry: Biochemistry and Neuroscience; Anastasia Chen, M.S., Chemistry: Environmental Chemistry; Jacob R. Coffey, M.S., Earth System Science: Atmospheric and Climate Sciences; Samuel W. Delamere, M.S., Statistics and Data Science; Lindsey M. Dorn, M.S., Geophysics: Remote Sensing Geophysics; Jonathon P. Klepatzki, M.S., Atmospheric Sciences; Alexandru Mihai Lapadat, M.S., Geophysics: Solid Earth Geophysics; McKenzie R. Miller, M.S., Geoscience: Geology; Tate F. Rachow, M.S., Geophysics; James S. Rozell, M.S., Atmospheric Sciences; Logan T. Scamfer, M.S., Earth System Science: Solid Earth Geophysics.

Photos from commencement and streaming video of the entire ceremony from May 2, 2026 are also online and available for download. Log in with your UA credentials if prompted.

You can download the full UAF commencement program with all of the graduates listed. Also available is a pdf of all of the Geophysical Institute-affiliated doctoral degree recipients with their thesis titles and abstracts.

If you don't see your smiling face or name here or, if you notice that the face or name of a GI-affiliated graduate is missing, please send information and photos with the graduate's name and degree to uaf-gi-public-info@alaska.edu so we can add them to the gallery.

About

Since it was established by an Act of Congress in 1946, scientists at the Geophysical Institute have studied geophysical processes from the center of the Earth to the surface of the sun and beyond, turning data and observations into information useful for state, Arctic and national priorities.

Contact info

The GI is located on the West Ridge of the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.

2156 Koyukuk Drive
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK 99775

We acknowledge the Alaska Native nations upon whose ancestral lands our campuses reside. In Fairbanks, our Troth Yeddha' Campus is located on the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River.

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©2026 Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks.