Date & Time:
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
10:00–11:00am Alaska Time
(11:00am PT | 12:00pm MT | 1:00pm CT | 2:00pm ET)
Location: Online via Zoom
Registration (required):
Register for the Webinar
Co-Hosted by the
Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. &
Cold Climate Housing Research Center
Event Description
Communities across the Arctic face pressing challenges related to infrastructure, housing, and resilience in the face of rapid environmental, social, and economic change. This panel will bring together researchers and practitioners to explore the intersections of engineering, policy, and lived experience.
Topics will include:
- Community-driven housing projects
- The social impacts of infrastructure and housing decisions
- Interdisciplinary approaches to addressing urban risks and adaptive responses
- Innovations in cold-region engineering and design
Each speaker will share insights from their current projects, followed by a moderated discussion and audience Q&A.
Speakers
Dr. Jennifer Schmidt
University of Alaska Anchorage
Associate Professor of Natural Resources Management and Policy
Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER)
Co-Lead, Arctic Urban Risks and Adaptations (AURA) Project
Dr. Jennifer Schmidt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resources Management and Policy at the University of Alaska Anchorage, affiliated with the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER). Her interdisciplinary research focuses on the human dimensions of subsistence and sport harvest, land use, ecosystem management, ecosystem services, climate change, and wildfire.
Dr. Schmidt is the co-lead of the Arctic Urban Risks and Adaptations (AURA) project, an interdisciplinary initiative that assesses and addresses urban risks in Arctic and sub-Arctic communities. The project employs a co-production approach to map multi-hazard risks, assess socioeconomic costs, and evaluate adaptive responses in coordination with communities such as Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Whitehorse.
Learn more about Jennifer Schmidt at ISER
Learn more about the AURA project
Dr. Caitlin Donahue Wylie
University of Virginia
Associate Professor of Science, Technology, and Society
Courtesy Appointment: School of Data Science
Co-Investigator, NNA Project: “Understanding the Changing Natural-Built Landscape in an Arctic Community: An Integrated Sensor Network in Utqiaġvik, Alaska”
Dr. Caitlin Donahue Wylie is a social scientist at the University of Virginia, where she holds a primary appointment in the Department of Engineering and Society and a courtesy appointment in the School of Data Science. Her research focuses on how diverse groups—including scientists, engineers, technicians, students, and community members—collaborate to produce knowledge about nature and technology. She employs qualitative research methods such as interviews and participant observation to understand these collaborative processes.
Dr. Wylie is a co-investigator on the Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) project titled “Understanding the Changing Natural-Built Landscape in an Arctic Community: An Integrated Sensor Network in Utqiaġvik, Alaska.” In this project, she contributes her expertise in co-production and community engagement to explore how infrastructure, environmental change, and lived experience intersect in Arctic communities.
Before joining UVA in 2015, Dr. Wylie served as a lecturer at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science. She holds a Ph.D. and M.Phil. in History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Cambridge and an A.B. in History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Chicago.
Learn more about Caitlin Wylie at University of Virginia
Learn more about Caitlin's Navigating the New Arctic Project
Dr. Nima Farzadnia
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Professor of Civil Engineering
Director, Automated Construction and Advanced Materials (ACAM) Lab
Dr. Nima Farzadnia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Geological, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He holds a Doctor of Engineering degree and specializes in structural engineering and building materials. His research focuses on developing sustainable construction materials, smart infrastructure systems, and automation in construction. Dr. Farzadnia leads the Automated Construction and Advanced Materials (ACAM) Lab, where he investigates alternative binders, nanotechnology, responsive polymers, and the integration of big data and cloud computing in construction processes.
He has published extensively in high-impact journals and has contributed to the editorial landscape as a member of the editorial team for the Crystals journal. Additionally, he has co-chaired the Gordon Research Seminar on Advanced Materials for Sustainable Infrastructure Development. Dr. Farzadnia's work bridges engineering innovation with practical applications in cold-region environments.
Learn more about Nima Farzadnia at UAF
Learn more about Nima Farzadnia at Google Scholar
Date & Time:
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
10:00–11:00am Alaska Time
(11:00am PT | 12:00pm MT | 1:00pm CT | 2:00pm ET)
Location: Online via Zoom
Registration (required):
Register for the Webinar