Ph.D. student in remote sensing.
The Geophysical Institute (GI) believes that building a unique community brings about richer science, stronger cross-cultural connections, and more immediate societal benefits — and more fundamentally, building a welcoming community is the right thing to do. Please read more below or reach out to the GI's GeoCommunity group to learn about our institute and community resources that are available.
GI GeoCommunity Group
The Geophysical Institute's GeoCommunity group is a collection of institute graduate students, staff and faculty with the goal of supporting a welcoming community at the Geophysical Institute — providing a place for members to connect and share resources for a better, safer research or work experience.
Contact the committee at uaf-gi-geocommunity@alaska.edu for more information.
- Join the conversation in an open meeting
The GeoCommunity group is seeking feedback and participation from the entire GI. We hold semi-regular open meetings as the stochastic nature of research makes regular meetings difficult. Please contact the group at uaf-gi-geocommunity@alaska.edu for more information.
- Select current projects
- Create a GI-specific land acknowledgement template and guidelines
- Summarize UAF's Graduate Advisor Handbook into an easy-to-read two-page document
- Maintain a GI Gear Lending Closet to provide short-term use for items that may be cost-prohibitive for those starting field work
- Work with GI Operations to update the GI's field safety rights document
Comment Box
GeoCommunity would love to hear your questions, suggestions or other feedback. Use this form to submit your thoughts anonymously, or include your email if you would like a response. You may also email the group directly at uaf-gi-geocommunity@alaska.edu.
Please note: GeoCommunity will read form responses and must report all relevant details of sexual misconduct to the Title IX coordinator or other school designee within 24 hours of becoming aware. See more options to report discrimination, sexual or gender-based misconduct, crimes, and other complaints.
GI Community Resources
- The Geophysical Institute Graduate Student Association (GIGSA)
GIGSA advocates for students and organizes events and informal gatherings. It also maintains a New Student Guide with resources to support any new GI graduate student researcher.
- Getting around campus
(Elvey Building, West Ridge Research Building, Akasofu Building, UAF campus in winter) Read more about ADA accommodations within UAF facilities.
- The Geophysical Institute (GI) is located on the West Ridge of Troth Yeddha', the University of Alaska Fairbanks. View a campus map of physical accessibility conditions. Please note that some Elvey Building hallways require security card access and do not have automatic door access buttons, so they may be challenging for those with disabilities to enter.
- Winter: UAF grounds are usually covered in snow and ice from mid-September to the end of April. The UAF Disability Services office will contact Facilities Services for immediate barrier removal for those who need assistance.
- A shuttle bus service links areas of the UAF campus together. View a general campus map with parking services and contact UAF Disability Services with questions.
- View a map of UAF's gender neutral and ADA showers and restrooms
- The Geophysical Institute (GI) is located on the West Ridge of Troth Yeddha', the University of Alaska Fairbanks. View a campus map of physical accessibility conditions. Please note that some Elvey Building hallways require security card access and do not have automatic door access buttons, so they may be challenging for those with disabilities to enter.
- Wellness Room, Elvey 609
The Geophysical Institute offers a Wellness Room, Elvey 609, for use by GI affiliates. Although labeled “Lactation Room,” the room can also be used for prayer, virtual doctor appointments, or other activities requiring privacy and quiet.
Scheduling ahead of time is required to use the Wellness Room. Please contact Robyn Frick, refrick@alaska.edu, to receive view access to the room’s Google Calendar. From there, you can work with her to schedule your time slot(s). Any questions about the room can also be directed to Robyn.- Gear Lending Closet
The GeoCommunity group manages a GI Gear Lending Closet to provide short-term use for items that may be cost-prohibitive for those engaging in field work. The closet is meant to supplement gear provided by the project’s PI to create a safe and comfortable work environment in the field. View the current inventory.
Want to borrow some gear? Have anything to donate? Email Claire Puleio at cepuleio@alaska.edu to learn more.
Looking for professional attire for your next interview or networking event? Check out the Nanook Career Closet.
GI and UAF Geoscience Initiatives
Please find links to initiatives and resources within the GI, the UAF geoscience department and University of Alaska at large below:
- UAF Geoscientists of Color
UAF Geoscientists of Color (GeoColor) is an informal community-building network for UAF scientists who are Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC) across all academic/career levels. By fostering relationships between (geo)scientists of Color, we aim to support one another through the process of navigating (geo)science here at UAF. Although centered on geoscience, we welcome any UAF BIPOC science community members.
For further details, please contact Kitrea Takata-Glushkoff (pltakataglushkoff@alaska.edu).
- URGE: Unlearning Racism in the Geosciences
In spring 2021, a group of UAF students and employees led by Dr. Ronni Grapenthin participated in the NSF-funded Unlearning Racism in the Geosciences (URGE) project. The documents prepared by the UAF "pod" are available on the URGE website.
The UAF URGE Pod smiles for a photo during a group meeting on Zoom. - Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Talks
In 2020-2021, two graduate students, Margaret Rudolf (IARC) and Anika Pinzner (GI), organized the TEK Talks seminar series to increase scientists' respect for and understanding of indigenous cultures. Archives and resource lists are available.
Resources at UAF
The Geophysical Institute’s GeoCommittee group can help connect you with UAF-wide resources. Please contact the group at uaf-gi-geocommunity@alaska.edu or browse some options below.
- Read about UAF's strategic goals and planning
- Women and Marginalized Genders in Science and Engineering (W*iSE)
https://sites.google.com/alaska.edu/uaf-wise/
The UAF W*iSE group aims to connect women and marginalized gendered undergraduate and graduate students (and other UAF affiliates) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) at UAF by providing opportunities for professional, social, and personal development.
- Nanook Career Closet
Need professional attire for an interview, networking event, or job? The Nanook Career Closet is here to help! UAF students and alumni can find new and gently used professional clothing, including shirts, blouses, pants, dresses, jackets, ties, shoes, and more, so you can look and feel your best.
Here’s how the free service works:
- Schedule an appointment on Nanook Navigator
- Come visit the Closet in the Student Success Center, 6th Floor of Rasmuson Library
- Try on some clothes and take up to four clothing items per semester (and any personal hygiene items needed)
Please note: The Nanook Career Closet is fully donation-based, so options may be limited in terms of size and style. We appreciate your understanding and hope to expand with future donations.
The Nanook Career Closet is made possible by your generous community support.
For more information or questions, contact Mallory Durkin at mjdurkin@alaska.edu.
Recruitment Resources
- Post jobs where your applicant pool can find them
Look outside conventional recruitment channels to build a strong pool of candidates from different cultures and life experiences. See outreach and networking resources below to build applicant pools. These organizations maintain job boards or mailing lists for recruiting beyond the standard.
- Advertisements and questions
For UA hiring committees, HR maintains a folder of resources to help draft language for screening questions and job advertisements.
[UA INTERNAL LINK]- UA HR Search Committee Resources
The UA HR Search Committee Resources folder [UA INTERNAL LINK] contains the following resources for the hiring process:
> Reference Check Considerations
> Search Committee Guidelines
> UA Sample screening questions
> Sample screening questions
> Acceptable pre-employment inquiries under EEOC guidelines
> Search Committee Guidelines in UA Recruitment Processes (video)
> Language Guide
> Search Committee & Implicit Bias Training (video)
> Implicit Bias in Hiring
> Implicit Bias Training (video)
Browse more resources on implicit bias.
Reporting
The focus of the Office of Rights, Compliance and Accountability is preserving individual rights, ensuring compliance with policy and law, and fostering accountability. Our overall goal is to provide a respectful and welcoming university environment. ORCA will serve as a single point of contact for matters involving Title IX, discrimination, student behavioral intervention, crisis management and our Student CARE Team.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is there a policy on bathroom use and/or gender neutral bathrooms, as well as respect of trans* identities?
Yes! It is UAF policy to respect people's pronouns and choice of bathroom (PDF brochure) as it fits our gender identities. There is an interactive map of gender-neutral and ADA compliant bathrooms.
- What demographics make up the UAF and Geophysical Institute community?
UAF is a federally designated Alaska Native Serving Institution, embedded in the Fairbanks community, which is made up of 65% White, 10% Black American, 10% Native American or Alaska Native, 9% Hispanic or Latino, about 5% Asian, and 0.8% Pacific Islanders (US Census). The UAF community reflects this composition. Specifically, the student body served by UAF is made up of approximately 20% Native American/Alaska Native students. You can learn more about specific numbers at UAF via the IDEA report which gives a more thorough description and breakdown of UAF demographics as of 2018-2019.
- What are UAF and the GI doing to create a welcoming community?
UAF has expressed its commitment to building an environment in which faculty, staff and students can thrive in its mission and strategic plan. The GI has formed a GeoCommunity group, this website of resources, and initiatives like the TEK Talks seminar series. The URGE pod at UAF has evolved into a formal course, GEOS F4/692 Social Justice Topics in Geoscience.
- What does this look like in the geosciences field?
The geosciences community has become more visibly aware of both its history and the gap between full representation of the wider community and reality. It knows much is to be done and there are no easy fixes. At UAF in 2021 a group of geoscience students and faculty have been involved in the Unlearning Racism in the Geosciences (URGE) project and, as one of the URGE deliverables, assembled the below visualization:
