Research

At UAA, we understand the importance of being on the cutting edge of theoretical and applied research in health, engineering, and the physical and social sciences. We value the impact of our undergraduate and graduate researchers, and we create many opportunities for students to work closely with highly qualified faculty in state-of-the-art labs that are built to address some of the Arctic’s most pressing problems. We do this because we firmly believe that the path forward for Alaska and the world will be driven by our students — by your curiosity, passion, and belief in a brighter tomorrow.
Student Opportunities Research SupportNew, Stories & ArtifactsDirectory
  • ribbon cutting for the Cold Climate Research Lab

    UAA and LG open heat pump labs for cold-climate HVAC research

    Green & Gold News | December 10, 2024

    The Consortium for Advanced Heat Pump Research, the groundbreaking partnership between the University of Alaska Anchorage and LG Electronics Inc. (LG), has opened state-of-the-art, real-world-simulated labs to conduct comprehensive studies on cold-climate HVAC and heat pump solutions.

     

 

Research Spotlight

In the picture, Brandon Briggs on the right and Roger Gebauer (undergraduate student) is on the left. We are collecting samples to analyze at Worthington Glacier. Photo was taken by James Evans. 

Dr. Brandon Briggs, Ph.D. | Professor of Microbiology and Director of the AIMS

Dr. Brandon R. Briggs is a Professor of Microbiology and Director of the AIMS core facility. His research explores how microbes survive in extreme environments and how they can be used for innovative applications. A key focus is sustainable critical mineral recovery, where microbes extract and separate essential minerals in an eco-friendly way and without the use of hazardous chemicals. He has developed a new biotechnology using Alaskan microbes that is more efficient and cheaper than traditional acid leaching processes. This research supports cleaner technologies and reduces environmental impacts, ensuring a more sustainable future for resource extraction.

Two people sitting and talking

Dr. Britteny M. Howell, Ph.D., CPG, CDP®, RYT | Associate Professor, Division of Population Health Sciences

Britteny M. Howell, PhD, CPG, CDP, RYT is a biocultural anthropologist and gerontologist who studies the interactions between physical and social environments, human health, and aging in the Circumpolar North. Through focus groups and card-sorting sessions, her team determined that the concept of “healthy aging” in this community could be broken down into twelve related, but distinct, concepts including having a purpose in life, engaging in lifelong learning, the importance of social relationships, and access to healthy food and physical activity. This “concept mapping” work led to the creation of an interdisciplinary team of faculty and students working on a National Institute on Aging (NIA/NIH) R15 award to develop a health education intervention for older adults in low-income urban housing communities in the Subarctic. This project is demonstrating that positive, strengths-based intergenerational learning experiences not only result in improved health for older adults (such as self-rated health, BMI, fruit and vegetable intake, and functional fitness), but also that student learning in the university is greatly enhanced by their engagement with research and hands-on experiences.

People outside van looking at something through binoculars

Dr. Jeffrey Libby, President’s Arctic Professor | Principal Investigator, ADAC ARCTIC 

Jeff Libby, President's Arctic Professor for UAA and ADAC-ARCTIC Principal Investigator, leads several projects under the Center’s expansive research and education arms. One such project is the Center’s 10-week Arctic Summer Internship Program. The program offers students the ability to participate in hands-on field research including coastal monitoring, drone-assisted phenological studies, ice core sampling, and permafrost research in situ in Anchorage and Utqiaġvik, Alaska. It also features cyber-security and Arctic infrastructure components, preparing participants to enter the Homeland Security Enterprise (HSE). Libby is huge proponent of workforce development as a key component of research and education projects.