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Kick-starting entrepreneurship through innovation grants

June 24, 2026

Ever wonder how ideas become real-world solutions? In �Ӱ�ԭ�� and the Arctic, innovation drives resilience across extreme climate, distance and resource constraints. Through two seed-funded projects, the UAF Center for Innovation director Peter Webley shows how early-stage research becomes practical applications and why supporting innovation is essential to �Ӱ�ԭ��'s future.

The email that proved the Student to Startups program works

June 01, 2026

A former intern emailed to correct the Student to Startups website, because he now works full-time at the company that hired him after his internship. That moment became proof that ARCTIC-funded S2S is doing more than placing students in summer internship roles. Backed by �Ӱ�ԭ��'s innovation ecosystem, the program is connecting university talent with local startups, building careers, strengthening industries and helping keep the next generation of innovators in �Ӱ�ԭ��.

From internship to publication: Undergraduate interns publish first-author papers

February 18, 2026

Publishing a paper in a peer-reviewed journal as first author while an undergrad is a monumental achievement indicating the dedication of the student and support of the mentor. In this story, Magnus de Witt describes the journey of the two 2025 ACEP summer interns he mentored, from summer projects to peer-reviewed publications and discusses the impacts on the students and future possibilities.

From planting seeds to installing solar panels: Sean McDonald's journey into �Ӱ�ԭ��'s energy future

February 11, 2026

When Sean McDonald joined Upward Bound and Teaching Through Technology �Ӱ�ԭ�� in 2020 as a freshman in Wrangell, �Ӱ�ԭ��, he had no idea that a virtual summer program during COVID-19 would help launch him toward a future in renewable energy. Four years later, Sean is an electrical engineering college student spending his summers helping build solar arrays across rural �Ӱ�ԭ�� -- proof that hands-on learning can change a young person's entire trajectory.

Future investment critical for continued energy data access in �Ӱ�ԭ��

January 20, 2026

�Ӱ�ԭ��'s energy systems are complex, serving large industrial users, military bases and remote rural communities. As demand grows and infrastructure ages, long-term, costly decisions are unavoidable, yet gaps and inconsistencies in energy data have hindered effective planning. The �Ӱ�ԭ�� Energy Data Gateway addresses this challenge by providing a centralized, public platform with validated energy and socioeconomic data for communities statewide. Rebuilt through legislative investment and led by the University of �Ӱ�ԭ��, AEDG integrates millions of data points into accessible dashboards. The platform empowers policymakers, planners, researchers and residents to guide investments, assess policy impacts and plan �Ӱ�ԭ��'s energy future. Continued investment is needed to keep the data current.

Nuclear energy, reconsidered: What's changed, and why it matters for �Ӱ�ԭ��

January 16, 2026

For decades, U.S. nuclear power has hovered between promise and practicality, slowed by cost, timelines and public skepticism. Now that balance is shifting and �Ӱ�ԭ�� is becoming an unlikely testing ground. Federal moves to deploy next-generation small nuclear reactors at Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base mark a transition from theory to reality. With safer, smaller designs and growing public curiosity, �Ӱ�ԭ�� faces a pivotal choice about nuclear energy's role in the state's energy future.

Transforming �Ӱ�ԭ��’s energy future

December 10, 2025

UAF energy center’s internships give students real-world experience in addressing the needs of the state’s electric utilities.

Luleå & Fairbanks: Separated by longitude, united by cold

October 27, 2025

Although Northern Sweden and �Ӱ�ԭ�� have divergent energy paths, they may have things to learn from each other. Through their involvement in the GET-North project, ACEP's Michelle Wilber and Bax Bond uncover how two Arctic regions, shaped by history, industry and Indigenous resilience, are navigating the path toward sustainable energy futures.

From EMT skills to welding sparks, teens explore their future at UAF

September 04, 2025

You think you know what you want to do after high school. But do you know how to acquire the education you need to get there? This summer, high school students from across �Ӱ�ԭ�� had the opportunity to participate in a summer session offered by the UAF T3 �Ӱ�ԭ�� and Upward Bound programs to learn about a variety of programs, career paths and the university admission process, to learn from the UB alumni and current UAF students and to learn what they can do to improve the community they live in through volunteer work.

Energy use in the emerging kelp industry: Reflections from Kodiak

August 26, 2025

As kelp farming grows each year, farmers, processors and researchers are innovating new ways for this industry to be regenerative and independent of fossil fuels. ACEP summer intern Emma Kehoe visited Kodiak Island to explore this environmentally conscious industry further and learn from farmers themselves about the electric equipment they need. Born and raised in Talkeetna, Kehoe has seen the impacts of strong communities who work together. Through her internship work and her visit with the kelp farmers, she has seen another developing community -- researchers, farmers and engineers working together to build a sustainable kelp industry for the better.