UAF College of Engineering and Mines

09/04/2026

CEM + INE kicked off the semester with good food and even better company!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for today’s Welcome BBQ. It was great to see students, faculty and staff filling Cornerstone Plaza, catching up with familiar faces and making some new connections.

Here’s to a great semester of engineering, research and community at UAF.

08/28/2026

New INE research is putting AI to work for Alaska’s remote energy systems, as part of a national effort to transform energy and scientific discovery through artificial intelligence.

Through the UAF Institute of Northern Engineering’s Natural and Energy Resources Engineering Center (INE-NEREC), Dr. Richard Wies is leading AURORA-AI — Alaska Utility Resilience and Optimization using Real-time AI.

AURORA-AI is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission, an ambitious national effort to harness AI to accelerate advances in energy, science and national security.

Wies recently spoke with Alaska’s News Source about how the project will use real-world utility data, advanced power-system modeling and AI to help Alaska’s rural and coastal communities forecast demand, reduce diesel use and operate more reliable and resilient microgrids.

Working with Cordova Electric Cooperative, Colorado State University and the National Laboratory of the Rockies, AURORA-AI is taking on a distinctly Alaska engineering challenge with potential far beyond the state: developing technology for isolated energy systems that could ultimately benefit remote communities around the world.

Watch the interview and learn more about AURORA-AI:�https://www.webcenterfairbanks.com/2026/08/28/uaf-study-ai-use-rural-power-grids/

07/27/2026

Few people understand Alaska's roads better than Billy Connor.

Drawing on nearly 50 years of experience in Arctic infrastructure, Billy explains why roads built over permafrost continue to buckle long after they're paved. His insights, featured in the latest Alaska Science Forum, highlight the unique engineering challenges of building and maintaining in the North.

Read the full story: https://www.uaf.edu/news/deep-thawing-soil-will-keep-roads-rough.php

06/17/2026

Not every research project ends with a journal article.

Some end with a museum exhibit, community celebration, and a reminder that Alaska still has stories to tell.

Six years of research. One new exhibit. Countless stories from Alaska's past.

Congratulations to the INE team behind the new Museum of the Aleutians exhibit, featuring research by Nicole Misarti and Matthew Wooller that explores ancient ecosystems, environmental change, and the science informing Alaska's future.

06/02/2026

INE Researchers Represent Alaska at UArctic Congress 2026

INE Faculty Melissa Ward Jones, Anna Costa and INE Proposal Manager Mariam Ubilava (also a Ph.D. student at UAF) all travelled to the Faroe Islands to present their research at the UArctic (University of the Arctic) Congress this week.

Presentations were:

Cultivating Future Arctic Leaders: A Student-Led Policy Brief on Community Resilience to Permafrost Thaw in Point Lay, Alaska presented by Anna Costa

Runoff Ramp-up in Arctic Alaska: Decoupling Snowmelt and Rainfall Contributions Across Coastal and Mountain Gradients presented by Anna Costa

The Influence of Rising Temperature on the Political Economy of Arctic Shipping, Marine Ecosystems, and Alaska Local Communities presented by Mariam Ubilava

Understanding permafrost-agriculture interactions through farmer-researcher co-production to support sustainable high-latitude agroecosystems presented by Melissa Ward Jones.

We are proud to see INE researchers sharing Alaska-focused research on an international stage.

05/28/2026

Congratulations, Col. Vander Lugt! We look forward to working together with you and the rest of the UAF community to forge a bright future for our university.

University of Alaska has selected Col. Russell Vander Lugt, Ph.D., to serve as next University of Alaska Fairbanks chancellor.

A 20-year Alaska resident and UAF alumnus, Col. Vander Lugt holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Arctic and Northern History from UAF and a master's degree in Arctic and Northern Studies, also from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He currently serves as Commander of the 11th Airborne Division's Arctic Aviation Command at Fort Wainwright and will join UAF on September 8, 2026.

Dr. Larry Hinzman, former UAF vice chancellor of research and current director of the UA Arctic Leadership Initiative, will serve as interim chancellor through the summer.

Full details: https://www.alaska.edu/opa/enews/2026/0527/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_y3w5dud3t5

05/19/2026

This week, Phillip Wilson and Benjamin M. Jones will be sharing stories and insights from their latest Arctic tea project.

Tomorrow Tuesday, May 19, at 10 a.m., they’ll join Lori Townsend on Talk of Alaska to discuss the COAST-X Traverse and the realities of Arctic travel, field science, and environmental change across Alaska’s western and northern coasts.

Then on Wednesday, May 20, at 11 a.m., they’ll present the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness (ACCAP) webinar:

“COAST-X 2026: A 2,000-Mile Snowmachine Traverse Connecting Communities, Coastal Change, and Knowledge from Bethel to Utqiaġvik.”

The webinar will feature photos, field stories, and reflections from the 19-day traverse, including discussions on coastal erosion, permafrost thaw, sea ice conditions, changing travel routes, and lessons learned from long-distance winter field logistics.

Both events are open to the public and offer a chance to hear directly from the field about the rapidly changing Arctic.

05/18/2026

At the Arctic Research Open House, student researchers from the Institute of Northern Engineering’s Automated Construction and Advanced Materials (ACAM) Lab shared with former UA President Pat Pitney how they are developing smarter, more resilient ways to build for Alaska's realities.

Meanwhile, inside the inflatable Arctic engineering dome, future engineers crafted snow goggles, built cardboard snowshoes, and built marshmallow igloos and towers. Part engineering lab, part sugar-fueled experiment.

05/11/2026

Throwback Thursday to T3 Alaska 2023 Summer Program energy strand. Students and staff spent nine days in Kotzebue and Noatak, meeting with locals, community partners, and experts, to experience life and challenges facing these communities. From extreme transportation and energy costs, to changing permafrost and a limited workforce, students learned how these factors impact the communities and how experts are developing solutions.

05/06/2026

Education changes lives. That’s why programs like Alaska 529 matter. They help students and their families prepare for college, workforce training, certifications, and the next chapter.

We’re proud to help connect students and families to those opportunities through events like our Engineering Open House and outreach across Alaska. Because building Alaska’s future starts with investing in its people.

Read more about the great work being done by Alaska 529 and their 25 years of helping families prepare for the future:
https://digital.akbizmag.com/issue/may-2026/saving-for-tomorrow/