Community Advisory Board

The Geological Sciences Advisory Board aims to provide strategic guidance to the Department Director and Faculty while representing and promoting the College and Department of Geological Sciences in the greater community.   

Advisory Board Members

  • Esther Babcock, Logic Geophysics and Analytics LLC
  • Emily Cahoon, Argon Geochronology Laboratory and Marine & Geology Repository Oregon State University
  • Jared Gooley, USGS Alaska Science Center
  • Hillary Jochens, Consulting Mineral Exploration Geologist (Secretary)
  • Veronica Jones, ASRC
  • Joseph Kurtak, Consulting Geologist
  • Anna M. Lewallen, Santos Ltd. (Vice-Chair)
  • Dr. Joshua Long, Alaska Department of Natural Resources 
  • Lance Kilvagiaq Miller, NANA Regional Corporation
  • Neil McKay, Jacobs
  • Ari Mitra, Bear Exploration Manager at ConocoPhillips
  • James Munter, J. A. Munter Consulting, Inc. (Chair)
  • Keri A. Nutter, DOWL 
  • Phillip Stallings, Paragon Professional Services
  • Fred Transburg, U.S. Bureau of Land Management
  • Greg Wilson, Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
  • Ric Wilson, USGS Alaska Science Center

Interested in Joining the Advisory Board?

Please email Advisory Board Chair, James Munter, for more information. 

Stephen S. Wright, Geologist - In Memoriam

The Community Advisory Board of UAA's Department of Geological Sciences mourns the passing of long-time CAB member Stephen Wright on June 10, 2021.  In Steve's own words and emphasis, he was a strong advocate for "promoting Alaska natural resource optimization & diversification through education in energy, minerals and the environment, as this will be the cornerstone of Alaska’s continuing economic prosperity and will energize the State’s economic engine for decades to come." 

Steve chaired UAA's Economic Geology Fundraising Committee that successfully raised $200,000 in private donations to fund a faculty position in the field of economic/minerals geology.  While serving as the Alaska Area Asset Development Manager at Chevron North America Exploration and Production in 2012, Steve was an early and prescient advocate for undergraduate and MS-level geoscience education at UAA to "ensure that Alaska residents have access to top-tier academic training to successfully compete for professional resource management and development positions". (The geoscience M.S. degree program at UAA was approved by the UA Board of Regents in 2017).

Steve helped lay the foundation for today's M.S. degree program in geosciences at UAA by supporting efforts to (again, in Steve's own words):

  • "deliver on State of Alaska’s vision of successfully promoting vital long-term resource development in Alaska
  • address critical gaps in US energy and strategic minerals supply
  • demonstrate that resource development in Alaska is compatible with strong environmental stewardship"

Steve was also very active with the Alaska Geological Society.  Steve's passion for geology, geological education, and service on behalf of Alaska and the geological community will be greatly missed.