Ice Arch

Every winter the Civil Engineering students, along with the American Society for Civil Engineers and the Association of General Contractors, build an ice arch on campus. The students design the arch themselves and so therefore it is a little bit different every year. This year the ice arch stands 20 feet 6 inches tall and is 20 feet at the base. The arch is still in progress, so that is why you can see the wooden structure underneath the ice, but as soon as it is complete, the wooden structure will be removed and the arch is expected to stand on its own. Keep checking in for updates on the ice arch progress.

Uh, yes, it does get cold sometimes...

For some, Fairbanks' extreme weather is an attraction. When I first came up to Fairbanks from Michigan, the novelty of -20 degrees was bigger and brighter than any inconvenience it caused. For others, the cold is something to be endured. My take on it is that Fairbanksans should look at our winter weather as just one more reason that your experience at UAF is like nowhere else--in a good way. Where else can be on the sidelines for the start of a 1000-mile sled dog race? Or view top entries from the World Ice Art Championships? You can't do it without a little cold.

Here's something else you can only do in Fairbanks' occasional extreme cold snaps. At -20 degrees Farenheit or colder, you can take a cup of boiling water, throw it into the air, and watch it vaporize in an amazing display. If the outside temperature is cold enough, little or none of the water will hit the ground. In the picture to the left, I was tossing boiling water into -40 degree air. That's just one coffee cup's worth of water there. Now, where else can you do that?

International Polar Year

What year starts in March and is two years long? The International Polar Year! The fourth of its kind, with the original stretching back to 1882, the International Polar Year (IPY) is two years of focused research on the polar regions of the globe. Previous IPYs have focused on exploration, weather, and the workings of the earth as a whole system. In this IPY researchers are looking at global climate change, especially at how changes at the poles can be a barometer for the rest of the planet. Another distinctive of this IPY is the interdisciplinary approach being used: Besides cross-referencing studies on sea ice with those on meteorology with those on glaciology with…scientists are also looking at the physical, social, cultural, and political aspects of climate change.

This is an exciting time to be a student at UAF, perfectly positioned to allow students to take part in special seminars and lectures, undergraduate research, and international exchange opportunities through the fourth International Polar Year! To learn more, visit www.uaf.edu/ipy.

The Yukon Quest

The Yukon Quest- the world's toughest sled dog race- took place this past week here in the interior. Mushers started from Fairbanks, AK and ended in Whitehorse, located in the Yukon territory. Temperatures were in the 40-below zero range when mushers started, but one of our hearty co-workers Lael bundled up to get us a few nice photos and a few video clips. Check them out below and find out more about this incredible race at http://www.yukonquest.com/.





The starting line.














Getting ready to pull.















Some of the dogs prepare mentally.















And they're off!

Really Big Bears

This is me with a Kodiak Bear! Kodiak bears live on Kodiak Island in Southwest Alaska. These bears are the world's largest bear! I had the pleasure of visiting Kodiak High School last week and had my picture taken with this bear. (All the other bears were hibernating for the winter.) Here at UAF we have quite a lot of students who come from Kodiak and we love them all. For more information on Kodiak Island, visit www.kodiak.org

My favorite time of year

Yes, that is true! Winter is my favorite time of year. I love the snow and the ice sculptures. The ice carvers are so talented. This is me posing with one of many ice sculptures on campus. This "ice Nanook" greets you as you come onto campus from Geist road. I can't wait for the International Ice Art Championships coming up at the end of the month. Keep an eye out for more awesome ice art photos. Oh, if you want to know more about the Ice Art Championships visit: http://www.icealaska.com/

"Hey" from the Student Ambassadors

After their by-weekly meeting yesterday, UAF's Student Ambassadors wanted to show off one of their favorite places on campus- the Raven's Nest. The Raven's Nest is located in the Student Union (aka Wood Center). It is the unfinished "4th Floor" of the building. As it turns out, permafrost is pretty tough to build on and the foundation of the Wood Center just couldn't support the final floor. Unfortunately, workers had already constructed the stairway. Thus, it has become UAF's very own "stairway to nowhere."

BTW, you can contact any of UAF's Student Ambassadors and ask them about more interesting stuff here on campus by visiting http://www.uaf.edu/ambassadors/.

The North Pole!

Did you know that the North Pole is just a short 30 minute drive from UAF? Well, not the real North Pole, but there is a city just south of Fairbanks called North Pole. The city of North Pole is decorated for Christmas year round and you can even visit Santa and his reindeer at his house any time during the year. I visited there on Friday while on my way out to North Pole High School actually.

What is a Nanook??

The Nanook is our mascot here at UAF but a lot of people have no idea what a Nanook is. Nanook is a derivation of the Inupiaq Eskimo word for polar bear "nanuq." Pictured here is a Nanook on display in the Patty Center, our student employee Joe, and that is me in the mascot suit.

Hitting the trails

What with all the nice new snow, Rachel and I had to get out on our cross country skis. It was great! The moon was beautiful and we got to listen to the swooshing of a raven flying overhead as he checked us out. We went skiing on some trails near our house. Fairbanks is criss-crossed by a lot of skiing, snowmachining (snowmobiling for you Lower-Forty-Eighters), and dog mushing trails. Plus right on campus we have 25+ miles of groomed ski trails, many of them lighted. On the other side of town is Birch Hill Ski Area, a superbly maintained cross-country ski area. (By the way, that ridiculous looking thing to my right and behind me is my dog Ahpun (Inupiaq Eskimo for "white" or "snow"). She's a goon. To my left is our friends' dog Jack that we are dogsitting for the week.