33rd annual Science for Alaska talks and events announced

33rd annual Science for Alaska talks and events announced

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute will host free public science talks over the next few weeks, featuring Alaska stories from author Ned Rozell, Alaska landscape changes as seen from space, a conversation with two UAF rocket scientists and Alaska's Mount Churchill volcano.

For over 30 years, the Geophysical Institute has hosted the Science for Alaska talk series as one of its largest public outreach efforts. The series brings information about current research to Alaskans from scientists with expertise across the state.

To celebrate the start of the series, Science for Alaska is offering a free K-12 planetarium event and a fun evening of flash talks at Black Spruce Brewing Co. These events are in person only.

• Tuesday, Jan. 28: An Afternoon of Family Science, 3-5 p.m., Nordale Education Center. Want to stargaze inside a planetarium and learn about Alaska science research? Fairbanks BEST Homeschooljoins the Geophysical Institute for exploration and hands-on activities at this free, all-ages event. Bring your family and friends! Join the event on Facebook.
• Thursday, Jan. 30: Science for Alaska Kickoff, 6:30-8 p.m., Black Spruce Brewing Co., 3290 Peger Road. Enjoy a storytelling evening of several short, engaging science talks covering mountain permafrost, traveling Alaska as a field engineer maintaining seismic instruments, the importance of satellite data in Alaska, Pavlof Volcano and more. All ages welcome. Join the event on Facebook.

The traditional 2025 Science for Alaska lecture series begins Tuesday, Feb. 4, and runs every Tuesday through Feb. 25. Talks start at 7 p.m. in the UAF Schaible Auditorium, 232 Tanana Loop, and will be streamed live to Zoom and the UAF and Geophysical Institute Facebook pages. On-campus parking is always free after 5 p.m. Presenters will answer questions after each talk.

Register here to watch on Zoom.

Here are the 2025 Tuesday lectures and dates:

• Feb. 4: Aleutians to Arctic Coast: Covering Alaska Science for 30 Years, Ned Rozell, Alaska Science Forum author, Geophysical Institute
• Feb. 11: Alaska Changes as Seen from Space: Leaf Miners, Beavers & Rusting Rivers,Emily Graham, doctoral student, UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics
• Feb. 18: Why Space Weather Matters to Alaska: A Conversation with UAF Rocket Scientists,Mark Conde, professor, Geophysical Institute, and Kylee Branning, doctoral student, UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics
• Feb. 25: An Explosive History: Alaska's Mount Churchill Volcano, Jessica Larsen, professor, Geophysical Institute

Lecture recordings can be viewed on the Science for Alaska websiteor the Geophysical Institute YouTube channelin March after the series concludes.

For more about the lectures and videos of past talks, visit the website or the Geophysical Institute Facebook page @UAF.GI. Join the 2025 eventon Facebook for updates.

Download the 2025 event series flyer.

The 2025 Science for Alaska events are sponsored by the Triplehorn family, Lifewater Engineering Co., the Dr. Syun-Ichi Akasofu Endowment and the UAF Geophysical Institute.

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