Kyungmin Kim Ph.D. defense
1 p.m. Sept. 8, Elvey Auditorium
Also available via Zoom
In partial completion of the Ph.D. in Geophysics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Natural Science and Mathematics, Department of Geosciences
Dissertation title: From volcano seismicity to subsurface fluid processes: Integrating physics-based modeling, Bayesian inversion, and laboratory experiments
Abstract: Long-period (LP) seismicity and volcanic tremor are commonly associated with fluid-driven processes in shallow volcanic and hydrothermal systems. However, extracting quantitative information about the underlying dynamics from these seismic signals remains challenging. This dissertation develops an integrated approach combining a physics-based model of LP events and tremor with laboratory experiments, Bayesian…
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Physics Journal Club presentation by Juan Roederer
3:45 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28
Via Zoom only
Title: International science cooperation and diplomacy at the UAF Geophysical Institute, 1978-1992
Speaker: Juan Roederer, Professor of Physics and GI Director Emeritus, Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder
Abstract
During the eighties and the first years after the end of the Cold War, an unusual number of major national and international scientific enterprises were conceived and launched at the GI in actions which now are called domestic and international science diplomacy.
After discussing the meaning of science diplomacy, I will describe — with many photographic illustrations and funny or not-so-funny anecdotes — the most important achievements: (i) the drafting of the US Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (work…
New memoir by Neal Brown illuminates Alaska's pioneering role in space science
“Northern Lights and Rocket Flights: My Years at Poker Flat Research Range,” a memoir by Neal Brown completed with Sue Mitchell, is now available from Springer. Mitchell turned Brown's 1,100 stories and notes into a compelling 270-page account of NASA, the aurora and nearly two decades leading the world's only university-owned rocket range, Poker Flat.
Kudos to the Farthest North Chapter of the American Meteorological Society!
Congratulations to the Farthest North Chapter of the American Meteorological Society on receiving the Local Chapter of the Year award from the national AMS organization. Chosen annually from among more than 125 chapters, the award is given for serving members, the community and the National AMS.
The award was based on efforts over…
Humans of the GI: Renicka Gober
Renicka Gober
GI HR Manager
Renicka Gober is the GI’s human resources manager and supports the 400+ faculty, postdocs, staff and students that the institute employs. She values spirituality, family and service to her country and community. A devoted grandmother of six girls, Renicka is also a French Bulldog mom and a loyal Seahawks fan.
When asked what advice she would share with a young person starting in HR, Renicka emphasizes that “HR is about people, not just processes. Forms, policies and systems matter, but people come first,” she said.
“The most impactful HR professionals treat everyone with dignity and respect, recognize the human side of work transitions and strive to improve the employee experience while staying compliant.”
New faces at the GI: Veleda A. P. Muller
Veleda A. Paiva Muller joined the University of Alaska Fairbanks as a joint Geophysical Institute/College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics appointment in May. She is an assistant professor of neotectonics in the UAF Geosciences Department and a member of the GI Tectonics and Sedimentation group.
She is most interested in mountain building processes and the interactions between the deep Earth and the Earth's surface. She uses a combination of low- and high-temperature thermochronology methods, field structural and stratigraphic data, and numerical modeling to study processes such as crustal thickening, rock uplift and exhumation, and landscape evolution. She expects to be teaching Structural Geology, Tectonics and Field Camp for now, and developing new departmental courses in the future.
Muller notes in the last few years one of her research foci has been on the influence of fluvial and glacial erosion to fold-and-thrust belt development, strain distribution and magma…
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Personify your career for the benefit of little kids!
The Fairbanks Children’s Museum invites members of the Geophysical Institute to help represent a broad spectrum of careers at Career Day Saturday, Aug. 22. Setup is from 10-10:45 a.m. and the event is open to the public from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Bring a child-friendly activity related to your career for children ages 2-10 and older. A table, chairs and a sign will be provided. FCM staff are happy to help brainstorm or supply materials for activities, if needed.
Please complete this form by end of day Friday, Aug. 7 to have your career included on the list! Contact Jessica Farr, Education and Outreach Director, at jessica@fairbankschildrensmuseum.com or 907-374-7060 for more information.
New faces at the GI: Jen Schmidt
Jennifer “Jen” Schmidt was appointed research associate professor of remote sensing at the Geophysical Institute and a member of the Geographic Information Network of Alaska team in May. Her research interests are broad, but she typically uses geographic information systems, or GIS, to address issues important to society and the natural world. She holds a Ph.D. in wildfire biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, with a focus on interdisciplinary work.
Schmidt expects to split her time between Anchorage and Fairbanks for the foreseeable future. She has worked to build community relationships in rural and urban Alaska through interdisciplinary research. She plans to keep up this work at GINA, expanding a community-engaged research portfolio. At GINA and UAF she hopes to build additional relationships with UAF faculty and staff, the Fairbanks community and to mentor students. Her research will continue to focus on social-environmental systems with a GIS angle.…
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Kudos: Jen Schmidt
The Alaska State Legislature issued a citation April 30 to applaud the outstanding contributions of Jen Schmidt to community-engaged research, and her dedication to advancing science in partnership with the people and communities of Alaska. Schmidt joined the Geographic Information System of Alaska at the Geophysical Institute in May.
The citation lauded her efforts as an associate professor of natural resource management and policy at the University of Alaska Anchorage's Institute of Social and Economic Research to bring research into direct partnership with communities.
“This co-creation of knowledge has strengthened the quality of Jen's research while building community capacity to understand wildfire risk, evacuation challenges and planning strategies, helping residents make informed decisions and contribute to solutions …
read more2026 Science for Alaska Summer Series
The Geophysical Institute Public Information team is pleased to partner with Explore Fairbanks for the third annual Science for Alaska Summer Series. This series is a more casual version of the winter Science for Alaska 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…
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Fire sprinklers versus no sprinklers?
By Tracy Durnan
The fire on the sixth floor of the Elvey building that occurred last week makes this an excellent time to remind everyone of the importance of making sure there are 18 inches of clearance around all fire sprinklers to allow them to function properly in the event of a fire. Thankfully, all fire sprinklers on the 6th floor were clear and they did their job. Let's all ensure our workspaces comply with this fire code to keep us all safe.
In my years of experience in disaster preparedness for research, I have often been asked by research staff whether the water damage that can occur when fire sprinklers deploy is worse than the fire itself. In fact, the risk of damage and injury from a fire without sprinklers present is far greater than the minor loss from sprinklers going off.
In 2012, a fire broke out in a laboratory at the University of Maryland when a fan in the lab’s ceiling caught on fire and set the entire ceiling ablaze. The fire…
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Scheduling meeting spaces
Are you looking to reserve a meeting space? Following is a list of the spaces GI Operations can schedule for you. Contact Ops at uaf-GIOperations@alaska.edu.
Auditorium – 214 Elvey
Stage, podium, projector, screen, whiteboard. Seats 92
Globe Room – 215 Elvey
Users must clean up tables, chairs, floors, and empty trash cans. This is GI's showroom to the public and is used often; therefore, the room must be left in good condition.
Set up, cleanup, and returning the room to a standard arrangement must be considered in scheduling requests.
Our receiving team will set up and reset the furniture in the Globe Room.
Please let us know in advance if any specific setup is required so we can schedule accordingly.
Conference Room – 616 Elvey
Zoom capabilities. Owl is available for use. Seats 12
Lactation and Wellness Room…
read moreSupport GI student research at UA Giving Day
March 26, 2024
UA Giving Day is here! From now through noon on Thursday, March 28, make your gift in support of the programs and areas you care most about at UAF. New this year — help unlock a generous gift from GI Director Bob McCoy in support of the GI Associates Endowment.
In the past year, this fund supported GI graduate student researcher Valerie Wasser to travel to AGU 2023 in San Francisco. Valerie shared about her experience:
“It is really important for students and early career scientists to attend conferences to network with future collaborators. It is also a great opportunity to showcase our studies. In turn, UAF students presenting their awesome investigations and analyses at conferences shows the rest of the world what incredible research we are conducting up here and advertises opportunities that UAF and the GI offers to potential future students and collaborators. Your donation is highly appreciated!”…
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UAF and GI logo downloads available
Please make sure you use the correct GI and UAF logos on all your research posters. You can download the logos at these websites:
For assistance with GI and UAF logos, contact Design Services at x7146.
GI history nugget: The Geophysical Institute comes into being
We often see references to the Geophysical Institute’s official founding date as a July 31, 1946, act of Congress. But it turns out that is actually the date when the bill, HR 7486, was signed by President Truman, thereby becoming Public Law 580. The process that led to the creation of the GI actually started long before that day.
The University of Alaska Board of Regents unanimously approved, on Oct. 6, 1936, a resolution calling for the university to provide the federal government a site on which to build a research facility. The resolution approved by the regents was to offer a site for “a structure suitable for branches of research, including, anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, atmospheric electricity, aurora ethnology, formation and testing of soils, geology, geophysics, ionosphere, meteorology, natural history, paleontology, plant photosynthesis, seismology and terrestrial magnetism.”
The 1946 act establishing the Geophysical Institute authorized the…
read more Download a facsimile of the bill creating the GI from the 1946 Congressional Record (72.15 KB)
Shun-Ichi Akasofu publishes paper about Sydney Chapman
Syun-Ichi Akasofu's paper, “Sydney Chapman: A Biographical Sketch Based on the Book ‘Chapman Eighty, From His Friends,’” was published Dec. 3, 2020, in Perspectives of Earth and Space Scientists, an AGU journal.
Akasofu’s biographical sketch is about Sydney Chapman, one of the greatest geophysicists of the last century. The Chapman Building on UAF's campus, the original home of the Geophysical Institute, was named for him.
In his early days, Chapman devoted his studies to the transport properties of gases and wrote “The Mathematical Theory of Non‐Uniform Gases” with T. G. Cowling. In the field of geophysics (geomagnetism, ionospheric physics and auroral physics), Chapman made fundamental contributions in each field on the basis of rigorous mathematical physics and deep insight. Chapman also wrote the book “Geomagnetism” with J. Bartels. These efforts helped establish the…
read more Akasofu-2020CN000135.pdf (3.08 MB)