Undergraduate Research Increasing at UAS
Fueled by Two Major Grants

For the second times in as many months the University of Alaska Southeast Environmental Science program received a grant to enhance research opportunities for undergraduate students in the area of science. UAS was awarded $465,605 to help identify and educate the next generation of National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration scientists. The funding comes from NOAA's Interdisciplinary Scientific Environmental Technology Cooperative Research and Education Center, which is a five-year $12.5 million project that brings together seven US colleges and universities, with its main headquarters at North Carolina A&T State University.

The Center's area of concentration is climate change. Through the grant, NOAA hopes to enhance researchers’ abilities to gather data, advance sensor technology and approve their ability to combine and share data across disciplines, while generating interest for students to work towards careers in those areas. Thirty-one percent of the grant is specifically for scholarships and to fund fieldwork for undergraduates.

"It's a very exciting time to be at UAS, for students and faculty," said Assistant UAS Professor of Physics Matt Heavner of the Environmental Science program and principal investigator on the grant. "Climate change is the defining issue of our generation and this grant gives UAS professors and students an opportunity to contribute to the dialogue. By engaging students on the undergraduate level we have an opportunity to make a difference in our students' lives and potentially on a global scale."

Prof. Heavner, is also the principal investigator on the $881,755 NASA SEAMONSTER grant with UAS colleagues Assist. Prof. of Environmental Science Eran Hood and UAS Associate Professor of Geology and Environmental Science Cathy Connor. SEAMONSTER stands for Southeast Alaska Monitoring Network for Science, Telecommunications, and Educational Research and when the project is completed it will be capable of instantly transmitting research data as it is collected for analysis at UAS. "There is a lot of crossover on the scope of the grants," said Hood. "We will be able to include many more undergraduate students in the SEAMONSTER project, gaining experience with sensor networks and data management, with the addition of the NOAA grant."

The NOAA Interdisciplinary Scientific Environmental Technology Cooperative Research and Education Center is comprised of California State University Fresno, City University of New York, Fisk University, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and University of  Minnesota. The partnering colleges will work towards NOAA's goals:

• Understanding climate variability and change, Serve society's needs for weather and water information.
• Protecting, restoring, and managing the use of coastal and
  ocean resources.
• Supporting the Nation's commerce with information for safe, efficient and environmentally sound transportation.

UAS is Committed to Undergraduate Research
All UAS faculty are challenged to find opportunities for students outside the classroom.  Many programs emphasize field research and internships, which help to produce accomplished graduates who excel in continuing their academic careers or in the workforce. The science and humanities programs take full advantage of Alaska's diverse ecosystems, as both an outdoor science laboratory and artistic inspiration. 

At UAS, we don't mold our students to fit into a predictable box, but guide individuals to explore and refine their unique talents and interests. UAS students discover their unique career paths through scientific and literary exploration, exposure to civic and spiritual leaders, and through artistic expression. It is our mission to help you turn your passion into a meaningful and fulfilling career.

At UAS, achieving your academic goal means gaining hands-on experience in your field of study. The University maintains job-shadowing partnerships with a variety of businesses. If you are undecided on a career path, we can arrange visits to a variety of workplaces.  Because Juneau is Alaska's capital, we have easy access to state and federal agencies as well as internships with the Legislature.

Dedicated professors teach UAS classes, not graduate teaching assistants. Our faculty believes that small class sizes are essential for an effective learning environment. UAS classes have an average ratio of fifteen students to one professor; small enough to foster individual student growth, but large enough to have a healthy diversity of ideas and opinions.

UAS has grown into an important cultural, economic, and intellectual hub for Southeast Alaska. It is truly a regional resource.

View a RealMedia clip of a recent outing by Environmental Science to the Juneau Icefield.

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