By: Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS Project Manager
The 2018 Anchorage Arctic Research Day was held at the Anchorage Museum in late April as part of the 2018 North by North Festival. This event, organized by ARCUS, the University of Alaska Anchorage, the Anchorage Museum, and the Institute of the North; brought together members of the Anchorage-area Arctic research community to share information about the diverse research and creative activity being conducted by a broad array of organizations, and to foster new connections and collaborations.
The event was attended by over 100 participants from government, corporate, academic, not-for-profit, and Indigenous groups. The morning session was opened by Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz who issued a call for more direct communication between the research community and policy-makers. University of Alaska Anchorage Chancellor Sam Gingerich opened the afternoon session with observations on Anchorage's contributions to Arctic research.
TED-style presentations offered fast-paced reports by leading researchers across the natural and social sciences, health, engineering, humanities, the arts, and governance. Synopses of broader Arctic research program and activities were provided by leaders from several Alaska- and Arctic- focused programs. Operational and user needs for Arctic research were explored in a panel discussion organized by Arctic Domain Awareness Center, Executive Director Randy "Church" Kee. The future of Arctic Research was addressed during an interactive dialogue, moderated by Fran Ulmer, Chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission.
The day also featured a range of activities to encourage networking, including a research "speed dating" session and robust roundtable discussions to encourage collaborations across the boundaries of discipline, organization, and sector.
The full agenda for the event is available on the North by North website
For questions, contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org)