Plastic insulation like Styrofoam is commonplace in seafood packaging and buildings.
But plastics never completely disappear, instead they break up into ever smaller particles
or microplastic. These tiny particles are harmful to the soils, marine environment
and wildlife, and may affect human health.
Researchers with the Biomaterials Lab seek to better understand the effects of these
stray plastic bits. The team is working to solve the global plastic pollution problem
by developing insulation that is recyclable, reusable, and biodegradable. Researchers
combine design-thinking, microbiology, and physics to dream-up scalable biological
materials that store carbon and provide a sustainable vital barrier from the elements.
Their key ingredients to de-carbonizing industries include beetle-kill spruce trees
and renewable cellulose that is literally grown in a lab. The Biomaterials Lab is an active innovation platform for new bio-based
materials and circular bio-economy solutions in the Circumpolar North. The lab uses
norm-critical design thinking as a framework to tackle some of the most pressing environmental
and public health problems facing the Arctic today.
While working towards a nursing degree, Kyla Turner has created beautiful art pieces throughout campus. She explains why UAA School of Nursing is the right choice for her and how she stays connected to her culture.
Nursing science graduate Tia Hale will serve as student speaker for the spring 2022 graduate degree hooding ceremony before starting her dream job at Southcentral Foundation in inpatient pediatrics this August.
“I never thought I would be involved in philanthropy, but after gaining an in-depth understanding of the program and working with Dr. Tina DeLapp, I decided to establish an endowment to the Recruitment and Retention of Alaska Natives into Nursing (RRANN), as a beneficiary of my modest estate.”
UAA alumni find many ways to stay connected and give back to their community, including nursing grad Tisha Benson, public health and ambulatory care nurse at Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.