Distinguished Alumnus Award | Alumni Relations

2026 Distinguished Alumnus Award

John Davies ‘70, ‘75

John Davies is the recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Alumnus Award, recognizing his decades of service to the University of �Ӱ�ԭ�� Fairbanks, the Fairbanks community and the state of �Ӱ�ԭ��. Davies began his affiliation with UAF in 1967 at the Geophysical Institute and earned both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in geology and geophysics, with a focus on seismology.

His career has spanned science, public service and higher education leadership. Davies served as �Ӱ�ԭ��’s state seismologist, was a member of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly and represented Interior �Ӱ�ԭ�� for a decade in the �Ӱ�ԭ�� House of Representatives, where he was a strong advocate for the university. He later served as research director for the UAF Cold Climate Housing Research Center and as a member of the University of �Ӱ�ԭ�� Board of Regents from 2014–2022.

Davies has also been deeply involved with the UAF Alumni Association and numerous community and energy-focused organizations. His lifetime of leadership and volunteer service has made a lasting impact on UAF and �Ӱ�ԭ��.