Laura Conner joins GI administrative team
Laura Conner was recently appointed associate director of the Geophysical Institute, joining Jessica Larsen in that role. Conner is research professor of science education with the Geophysical Institute and former faculty fellow for UAF and the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District North Star College program.
Conner expects her new position at the GI will lead to new responsibilities.
“Some of the things I expect to be involved in include representing the GI to people outside the university, like our legislators,” Conner said. “I’d also like to continue to think about the needs and interests of students and faculty, particularly research faculty. We already do great work with both graduate and undergraduate students, and I want to think about how we can increase student involvement even further.”
Conner has been affiliated with the University of Alaska Fairbanks since 2006, when she joined the GI as a curriculum developer/writer and served as adjunct faculty in Biology and Wildlife. In 2007 she was hired as director of public programs at the UA Museum of the North, and from 2010 to 2014 she was a faculty member and director of outreach for the UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics. She joined the GI as faculty in 2014.
Conner has a B.A. in Environmental, Population, & Organismal Biology from the University of Colorado Boulder; a M.S. in Plant Pathology, Montana State University; M.S. in Technical Communication/Science Writing, University of Washington and a Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona.
“The GI is a fabulous place,” Conner said. “I am inspired by all the research that takes place here, and the ways we benefit Alaska and the world. I’m looking forward to contributing in new ways to support the GI’s mission.”
“Alaska and the Arctic have increased tremendously in geopolitical importance in recent years. UAF and the GI are key players because of our location and our research foci. Opportunities as well as challenges will continue to arise, especially given the context of climate change.”
