Sock Monkeys...for Charity

This past week was Springfest at UAF...a campus-wide celebration of spring--with losts of community service projects. This year that Admissions Outreach Coordinators decided to help make sock monkeys for charity (making stuffed toys for children without homes). (And yes, they are made out of socks) Our own Ginny Tschanz was the coordinator for the project. Check out the pics!

Charlie's a sewing machine...Jessica's toy is starting to take shape...

Ginny shows off the final product.

Here they are! Go sock monkeys!

Cyberinfrastructure Day!!!

Hello, all!

Today I got to check out a few of the lectures at UAF's Cyberinfrastructure Day! I know it sounds like a brain drain, but it was actually pretty sweet. The overall theme of the day was to increase awareness and interest in the field of communication technology, and its component fields. These are fields that range over everything from Mechanical Engineering to Education.

I was able to sit in on Dr. Mike Comberiate of NASA's presentation on communications technology. He and his group C.O.O.L. (Communication Over Obscure Locations) is responsible for approximately 100 awesome communication technology feats over the last 30 years. He is also in the Guinness Book of World Records for the first pole to pole telephone call (North to South Pole). What he was mostly talking about was programming robots to investigate the moon! Back in '04, President Bush espoused an interest in starting a lunar colony, and Dr. Comberiate's research is going directly towards that field. I can't really summarize all of the cool stuff that he talked about in his lecture, but I can say that I wish you were there.

Because Dr. Comberiate has been to both the North Pole and the South Pole, he brought a sample from both pole's to his lecture. Afterwords he invited anyone in the audience who would like to be able to claim that they had stood on both poles at the same time to come to the stage. So, he took my picture, and as soon as he forwards it to me, I'll post it on this blog. I also took a photo with him. Really, he was a great guy. Hopefully, UAF will be getting involved in some of the University-based C.O.O.L. research he's doing (we've got the cold part down, let's see if we can also be COOL). Thanks for reading, and I'll let you know when the next exciting event happens.

-Joe

PS: Click here to see an article about Dr. Comberiate in the Antarctica Sun

Jessica's Puppy

Jessica is getting a new puppy! This is big news in the Outreach Coordinator world here at UAF. Being that we live in the largest state in the union, Jessica decided to get the biggest dog she could find- a Great Dane. Here's Jessica visiting with her new pup (which comes home next week).

The OC Team is Complete!

Finally, after the hiring of Joe and I (Ginny) the UAF Admissions Outreach team is complete. Charlie, Jessica, Ginny & Joe make up the four Outreach Coordinators lead by Hope, our trusted team leader and Assistant Director of Admissions, we are the ones responsible for recruiting and helping new students discover all the opportunities UAF has to offer.It's great to feel whole again!

Can you believe it snowed 6 inches in the middle of April? With all the new snow and sunny weather, there was no way that hard working OCs like ourselves could let this opportunity pass us by!

Here's a tiny glimpse into the lives of UAF's finest Outreach Coordinators:

Charlie was so proud of his little snowman!

Thats some snowball, Joe!
I wouldn't want to be the one on the other side of that Armstrong curve-ball!
Yikes, I forgot... I was!
Stinks to be the new guy, Joe... luckily your squatting abilities are better than any of our aims.

Although mother nature did tease us slightly with the super warm spring-like weather we had a week or two ago, and then DUMPED six inches of snow in one night, you can't help but love Alaska for it's mystery, it's beauty, it's SNOW, but most importantly it's PEOPLE.

Happy Spring.
(out of 7 or so tries, honestly this one was the best)

Meet Joe Alloway

Hey there, everybody, I'm Joe Alloway. They just hired me on to be the local Outreach Coordinator for UAF, and I couldn't be happier to be involved. I graduated in December with my BA in Theatre from UAF, and I'll be graduating again in May with my BA in Japanese Studies. Obviously, I wanted to study Japanese Theatre(?), but I thought it was more important to spread the good word of higher education on the hill.

Although I wasn't born in Fairbanks, I've been here long enough to be a Fairbanksan for life. I went to Weller Elementary, followed by Tanana and Lathrop. With the exception of a few trips to Japan, Singapore, Canada and the like, I've rooted myself pretty firmly in this town. That being said, if you have any question about what life is like in Fairbanks, at UAF, or as an international student, I'm probably a pretty good person to talk to.

I'd love to hear whatever questions you might have, so give me a call, send me an email, let's start some trouble. fnjaa@uaf.edu.

Where did Jessica go??

Ok, I know it has been a while since you have seen a new post from me but the Admissions Office has been VERY busy. We had two exciting events in March, one of which was UAF InsideOut. We had students come all the way from Texas, New York and many other exciting places for this year's event. If you didn't get to come up for this Spring's event, keep an eye out for our Fall InsideOut!

Why I Love Fairbanks!

Hello, ginny here!
So the weather the past couple of weeks has been pretty unusual. Last week it got up to 55F, then this weekend it snowed again! I love it.
This is what I saw on the way to the outhouse the other night before bed:

Just one of the MANY reasons why I love living in Alaska!
~ginny

Hello Out There!

Hello! My name is Ginny Tschanz and I am the newest member of the Admissions Recruitment team. I moved to the Office of Admissions at the beginning of March. Previously, I coordinated the New Student Orientation program for the past 3 years, so I know a lot about how to get involved on campus, and the resources that are available to new students.

I was born and raised in Rochester, New York (upstate, about 6 hours from "the city") and found myself in Alaska all by myself the fall after I graduated high school. I came to UAF for adventure, fun and something new. I quickly discovered a place that has become my home and met people that soon became my closest friends and family. I graduated from UAF in 2005 with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in Spanish, shortly after I jumped aboard as a full-time staff member. Currently I'm taking graduate classes in the Guidance & Counseling M.Ed program, and am waiting to hear (any day now) whether or not I've been accepted into the program.
I currently live in a one room, cabin without running water, about 8 miles from the University with my 10-year-old, 90lbs. Golden Retriever named Wrangler. He loves to play and swim in the Chena River and lay in the warm sun. I am an AVID knitter and am addicted to LOST and Antiques Roadshow (man, you'd think I'm in my 80's!) I love hanging out with friends listening to live music, going for walks around town with my dog and knitting of course. I love cooking and baking and discovering the wonders of sourdough! I can't wait to get settled into my new position and look forward to helping students discover the opportunities at UAF.

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?