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Photo courtesy of Jason Ahrns and Michael Martins.
Jason Ahrns, left, and Michael Martins set up cameras atop a roof in Utqiagvik.

Students support rocket missions

Ten students from the �IJ�ͼ�� College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics helped power the success of two of this spring’s rocket missions at Poker Flat Research Range. The project, Auroral Waves Excited by Substorm Onset Magnetic Events, or AWESOME, was led by �IJ�ͼ�� physics professor Mark Conde.

The missions relied on six ground stations across northern and interior Alaska, where students and researchers captured images of tracers and sensors released by the rockets. The images helped scientists learn how atmospheric disturbances associated with the aurora may affect space infrastructure.

Michael Martins, a CenterICE post-baccalaureate fellow, was part of the team that was stationed in Utqiagvik.

“Seeing the rocket's ejection of the colorful vapor tracers — while atop a roof in Utqiagvik — was no doubt the best part,” he said. “It's the first time I've looked up at an aurora-filled night sky and felt my attention commanded by something more beautiful than the aurora itself.”

Doctoral student Vincent Ledvina was stationed at the Venetie ground station.

“I learned a lot about how rockets are launched … Seeing everything ‘behind the scenes’ made me appreciate the expertise of all the researchers at the GI, but also inspired me to one day be in their shoes — making the decision to launch a sounding rocket into the aurora,” he said.

Physics doctoral student Austin Smith supported the Toolik Field Station team.

“The best part was being able to contribute to the science of the mission, especially since it is relevant to my research interests,” he said.

Undergraduate physics students Vivian Palmer and Jonah Barkley-Griggs also participated, working ground stations in Kaktovik and Eagle, respectively. Other student contributors were doctoral students and included Chynna Spitler at Poker Flat, Smith and Cameron Westerlund at Toolik, Jason Ahrns and Martins at Utqiagvik, and Ledvina at Venetie.

UAF student wins public service award

�IJ�ͼ�� student Lina Mariscal has received the 2025 Alaska Press Club Public Service Award. She is one of a dozen UAF students who received awards at the press club’s annual conference earlier this month.

Mariscal is the publisher of Sol de Medianoche, Alaska’s only Spanish-language newspaper. She and several other Latino leaders started the paper, which serves the Latino community in Anchorage, nine years ago.

“For my community, knowledge is power,” Mariscal said in an interview with Alaska Press Club judges. “When you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”

The Public Service Award is one of the press club’s top awards and recognizes journalists and media outlets that go above and beyond in coverage that advances public understanding of important issues or that results in changes that benefit the public. The 2025 awards recognize work completed during 2024.

Judges specifically noted Mariscal’s leadership role in the statewide Tu Voz Importa campaign, which initially aimed to explain ranked-choice voting.

“The project expanded into a series of articles, infographics, and social media posts in both English and Spanish that inform community members [about] events such as the 2024 election and local municipal elections, increasing civic engagement and participation,” judges wrote. “As a person who came to Alaska without being able to speak English, Lina knows well the isolation and disenfranchisement that can happen when people can’t get news in their preferred language.”

Outstanding graduates honored

The �IJ�ͼ�� celebrated its Class of 2025 outstanding graduates during the annual Honoree Recognition Ceremony on Friday, May 2.

Darya Kholodova received the Marion Frances Boswell Memorial Award, which recognizes an outstanding bachelor’s degree graduate. Kholodova earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. She served as a leader in several student organizations, was a member of the College of Engineering and Mines’ steel bridge team, led the design and construction of this year’s ice arch and volunteered her time in outreach to local youths. 

Sebastian Toscano-Arteaga received the Joel Wiegert Award, given to an outstanding associate degree graduate. Toscano-Arteaga earned an associate degree in culinary arts with certificates in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts, all while still in high school. He received his high school diploma this spring and is a University of Alaska Scholar. He volunteers with various community organizations and spends summers working with the Alaska Fire Service, preparing meals for wildland firefighters.

Sarah Manriquez received the Gray S. Tilly Memorial Award, recognizing an outstanding nontraditional graduate. Manriquez earned two degrees: a bachelor’s degree in photography with a minor in music performance and a bachelor’s degree in digital journalism with a minor in women, gender and sexuality studies. She was involved with student clubs and the Sun Star student newspaper, while also working as a freelance photographer and as a member of the UAF staff.

Kyle Banning was selected as this year’s student commencement speaker. He was a member of the UAF Honors College and earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with a concentration in biomedical science. He served as a leader in UAF’s chapter of Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship and volunteered in a wide variety of roles at a medical center in Maryland.

Colleges highlight student achievements

Colleges at the �IJ�ͼ�� have named their outstanding students for the 2024-2025 academic years. Students are selected for a variety of accomplishments, including exceptional academic achievement, leadership, contributions to their field or community. Following is a list of those students:

College of Engineering and Mines

• Petroleum engineering: Harrison Riggs
• Mining engineering: Elizabed Angel
• Mechanical engineering: Vance Underwood
• Computer science: Andrew Mattson
• Civil engineering: Darya Kholodova
• Geological engineering: Noah Goltz
• Electrical engineering: Seth Waln
• Computer engineering: Jack Kendall
• Center for Teaching and Learning outstanding dissertation: Gwen Holdmann, "At the Crossroads of Technology, Policy, and Society: Energy Transitions in Rural Alaska"
• Center for Teaching and Learning outstanding thesis: Kaarle Strailey, "Developing a Proof-of-Concept Non-Scalable Active Vacuum Insulated Building Envelope Prototype"

College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences

• Dean’s Recognition Award – outstanding graduate student: Josianne Haag
• Dean’s Recognition Award – outstanding undergraduate student: Linnaea Doerner
• Outstanding freshman: Sam Cheng
• Outstanding sophomore: Rachel Cox
• Outstanding junior: Rory Claussen
• Outstanding senior: Tony Blade
• Center for Teaching and Learning outstanding dissertation: Matt Cheng, "Addressing Non-Stationary Fishery Dynamics and Demographic Complexity in Integrated Stock Assessment Models"
• Center for Teaching and Learning outstanding thesis:  Emily Reynolds, "Sea Otter Interactions with Mariculture Oyster Farms"

College of Indigenous Studies

• Kuskokwim Campus outstanding student: Ida Shannon Qak’vaq David of Bethel
• Tribal governance outstanding student: Darlene Pete

College of Liberal Arts

• Anthropology: Danielle Lopez Stamm, Hazel Probst, Xochitl Martinez
• Arctic and northern studies: Nels Ure (undergraduate), Katie Craney (graduate)
• Art: Jaylon Pate (B.A.), Kevin Carroll (B.F.A.), Sarah Dexter (M.F.A.)
• Communication: Anna DeVolld
• English: Sophia Martin
• Global languages and literatures: Lizzy Hahn
• History: Trevor Chrzan
• Journalism: Philipp Moosmayer
• Justice: Patrick Deslaurier (B.A.), Megan Williams (M.A.)
• Linguistics: Duncan Forrest
• Music: Olivia Buzby (most outstanding), Cody Webb (outstanding freshman), Ben Lucia (outstanding graduating senior), Evelina Savonin (outstanding graduate)
• Philosophy: Ryan Pullis
• Political science: Cole Osowski (pre-law), Cadence Conner (political science)
• Psychology: Chikuchuilaq (Shooka) Bennett
• Social work: Danelle Shellikoff
• Theatre and film: Kjrsten Colleen Schindler
• Women, gender and sexuality studies: Kayla Johnson, Sarah Manriquez, Destiny Rymer
• Center for Teaching and Learning outstanding dissertation: Varpu Lotvonene, "'Ballad of the Laablaaqs:' The Relational Worlds of Sami Reindeer Herders in Alaska"
• Center for Teaching and Learning outstanding thesis: Joseph Ransdell-Green, "Collective Action in Marine Mammal Co-Management: Relationships as Tools of Cooperation"

College of Natural Science and Mathematics

• Biological sciences: Michelle Ramirez
• Chemistry and biochemistry: Sydney Wade
•  Geosciences: Xochitl Munoz
•  Mathematics: Torin Hooge
•  Natural resources and environment: Teddy Krauss
•  Physics: Vivian Palmer
•  Statistics: Rosie Fordham
•  Wildlife biology and conservation: Monica Casner
•  Outstanding teaching assistant and course assistant award recipients:
  • Physics: Keshab Pokharel
  • Biology: Dakota Keller
  • Chemistry and biochemistry: Daniel Fabrizio (TA), Iva Thomason (CA)
• Chemistry and biochemistry departmental award recipients:
  • Freshman award: Ainsley Sauer
  • Graduate in biochemistry: Ali Moazezi Ghavihelm
  • Graduate in environmental chemistry: Tianlang Zhao
  • Undergraduate in biochemistry: Gabriel Gray
  • Undergraduate in environmental chemistry: Iva Thomason
• American Chemical Society award winners:
  • Undergraduate in physical chemistry: Hannah Hausmann
  • Undergraduate in organic chemistry: Klara Gengler
  • Undergraduate in inorganic chemistry: Owen White
  • Undergraduate in analytical chemistry: Mackenzie Hawkins
  • Undergraduate in environmental chemistry: Ryan Owens

School of Education

• Elementary education: Libbey Gionet, Alice Tulik, Caylann Thomason
• Outstanding clinical mental health counseling graduate: Quincy Fuller
• Outstanding school counseling graduate: Kaitlin Brown
• Outstanding school counseling certificate graduate: Yaa Sakyi
• Secondary education: Kayanna Healy and Aron Cronsberry 
• Special education: Hope Jennings, Payton Baker, Holly Makowsky