Feature of the Month - May

Ritika Saxena grew up in Lucknow, Northern India. People around the world and different cultures intrigue her. She says, "After high school, I moved to Australia on a scholarship to study Bachelor of Biological Science." As a part of her degree, she decided to go on exchange at UAF over Spring 2016.

What motivated you to study abroad and choose UAF?

She believes that you learn a lot by living in a different country and a different culture. So, after choosing to study in Australia ‘The Land Down Under’, she says "I decided to go as far up as I could and that's how I decided to move to the other end of the world to UAF!"
After spending over 4 months in the US, she says she still couldn't wrap her head around gallons and pounds!
She had never seen snow before she arrived in Alaska and the mere thought of it excited her. "I had only seen in movies how people thrived in such harsh climatic conditions. I looked forward for a frigid cold experience for myself!"

How was your experience traveling in Alaska and the lower 48?

"I went to North Pole which was an interesting town with candy canes for light poles!"
She visited Chena Hot Springs, saw the amazing sculptures at the Ice Park and went to the Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race start.
She had planned a trip to New York and Los Angeles at the end of the semester.

Ritika (L) in North Pole, Alaska

(L to R) Ritika at the Ice Park, Yukon Quest Race Start in Fairbanks and at the Statue of Liberty in New York

 "I went to bonfires at the Smith lake on campus in pitch black darkness and went snowshoeing up Pedro Dome!"

 How was your Alaskan winter experience?

"I did not see fresh snow for the first six weeks and when I did see the snow fall, holy moly! it was beautiful and enchanting and all the good things you can think of!"

The cold was harsh but she says the campus has great facilities that keep businesses go on as usual. "Coming back from the lab at 9pm in pitch dark, the campus shuttle was an extremely useful resource".

She says “To cope up with the cold, I wore so many clothes during the winter that at any given point, I was wearing half my wardrobe! . But, I made it through the winter safe and sound! 

She loved capturing snowflakes and taking pictures in the snow

What do you miss about Alaska now that you are on your way back to your home university?

"I will miss a lot of things about Alaska. I made a lot of memories having conversations over dinner with friends over the past semester. I will miss looking out the window and seeing the world just covered in a blanket of white. I will miss going out in the middle of those winter nights  to gaze at the northern lights and take pictures . I will miss the excitement when Spring fest came around. I will miss seeing the huskies!"

(L) Ritika with the Northern Lights. The campus has some great spots to view the Northern Lights

Would you recommend students to study abroad?

Ritika believes that studying abroad gives you a chance to explore yourself. She says "Even simple things like your favorite cuisine changes once you live in a new place and experience new things. The best part about studying abroad is that you get to travel without taking a break from your studies! It shows your potential employers that you are easily adaptable and enjoy a diverse working atmosphere. More than anything, it helps you grow personally."

What are you plans for the future?

Ritika is trying to get a position in a placement program in China later this year. She says "After I (hopefully) graduate next year, I may work for a couple of years. I eventually hope to get a PhD in Genetics, Epigenetics and Stem Cells and teach at a university. One of my dreams is to study and live in Germany"

  Describe UAF in one word

Magical.

Ritika blogs about her experiences at https://riteekuh.wordpress.com

Feature of the Month- April

Born and brought up in Moscow, Russia, Matvey Debolskiy is working towards his PhD at the Geophysical Institute here at UAF since Spring 2014.

Excelling in the Physics and Math Olympiads, Mat graduated from a distinctive high school consisting of students having an aptitude towards the sciences. He says “Maths was a lot more fun for me than Physics because I didn’t have to keep in mind all the assumptions while I solved Maths!”

On his parents’ insistence, he went to the Moscow University to study Geography.

He says “I didn’t mind studying Geography and when the time came to choose the subject of my research focus and laboratory work, I flipped a coin. And that is how I got into glaciers and permafrost!” Meteorology would have been on the flip side, Mat pointed out.

During his research in Russia, Mat preferred using techniques that involve applied Math or Physics as opposed to the Landschaft (Landscape) Paradigm method popular in Russia which involved data collection exercises that he says were a little primitive. That being said, he enjoyed the numerous field visit opportunities that were part of his research and he spent most of his summers in the Caucasus range between The Caspian and Black seas, mapping and studying glaciers.He was a part time employee at the Melnikov Permafrost Institute for the last three years of his undergraduate degree.

Mat (L) with his brother in Moscow

What are you doing now?

"Trying to get my PhD!"

Mat is working on modeling of watersheds with permafrost and glaciers. He is currently post- processing Ground Penetrating Radar data for his PhD thesis and thinks he’ll get his doctorate in about two more years.

He chose UAF to do research and get a PhD because of UAF's renowned Geophysical Institute. He says that the team of professors and associates here is very talented and accomplished that creates a great environment for prospective researchers.

Matvey at work in his office

How were your first Summer and Winter experiences?

Mat spent two winters in Igarka, Siberia before he arrived in Alaska so he had no issues getting acclimatized to the unusual darkness and cold. He spent his summers around the Alaska Range making hydrological and meteorological  observations, driving two times a week around Delta junction at times.

Mat during field visits around Alaska

What do you miss about home?

“My cat, Kotjik.

The small coffee shops in Moscow, Doner and the “big city” life" 

Doner is a popular street food in Moscow
Source: yenisafak.com

What are your future plans?

Mat would like to continue working in academia, possibly work as a post doctorate fellow. He says, "I would love to work in Europe so I would be close to Moscow and my family".

The recently married Mat has his research prioritized but says it sometimes gets difficult to stay away from family.

Describe UAF in one word

Geophysics.

Feature of the Month- March

"It is Challenging, but extremely rewarding!"

Megan Rourke, a Sociology major from the University of Stirling spent two semesters at UAF as an exchange student. The Scot, who grew up in a small village outside Edinburgh, lived and went to school there for most of her life. After high school when she turned 18, she went travelling around Tanzania, Australia and South East Asia for a year and half before coming home and starting school at the University of Stirling. She says "I had definitely caught the travel bug and spent time in different cities across Europe throughout my study and picked my degree program based on whether it had an exchange opportunity!" 

She had a few universities in the United States on her list where she wanted to study as an exchange student, eventually deciding to go to UAF in the Fall of 2014. She says, "Looking back at it now, I can’t imagine having gone anywhere else. I was only supposed to be in Fairbanks for one semester between September and December but I ended up falling in love with the city and the school, got a job as a Resident Assistant on campus, and luckily, was able to extend and ended up staying until June"

Megan and the author light- writing an abbreviation of "Alaska" 

Elaborating on the academics and research in the department of sociology at UAF, she says, "The sociology program at UAF gave me amazing chances to explore social research and I ended up presenting a research poster on the ethics of dog sledding"

 

(L) Megan and her poster on the ethics of dog sledding with her colleague Britta. (Top) Megan with puppies at a sled dog kennel

She also received a grant to study Title IX legislation and it’s applications on campus and went on to attend the Pacific Sociological Conference in Los Angeles, California.

With all these opportunities manifesting within a span of a few months, she says, "These were crazy opportunities that I am incredibly grateful for because they prepared me for my graduation dissertation here in Stirling. Also, my involvement in Sociology club brought to my attention the importance of tackling issues such as domestic violence and sexual assault and I was able to work with some amazing people to organize ‘Run for Respect’, a 5K that raises awareness and money for the local women’s shelter"
(R) Megan (2nd, from Right) with the organizers for "Run for Respect"

(L) Megan with her team of Resident Assistants donating clothes at a shelter

(R) Megan with the Berman Excellence in Sociology award for her research in Title IX

How was your experience travelling around Alaska and the Lower 48?

In her first semester she took every opportunity to experience Alaska, taking road trips to Anchorage and Seward. "There were so many different things that I had never experienced before like snowshoeing and ice climbing with UAF Outdoor Adventures."

Megan on a road trip to see Denali (L) and on the Gulkana Glacier (R)

 

"And amongst the other exchange students you could always find someone who was up for a weekend trip- for Thanksgiving a bunch of us got a car and a cabin and went dog sledding, to hot springs and learned how to drive on ice!"

"After finishing at UAF I flew down to Los Angeles. It's an extremely long trip between Edinburgh and Fairbanks so I thought I'd make the most of the remaining days on my Visa. We did a road trip around California which was amazing! The weather was beautiful and we drove up the coast to San Francisco and went as far as Napa which I fell in love with. I'll be back in the next few years to see friends, I've got my sights set on Arizona next and I'm sure I'll make it to Louisiana one day!

How was your first Alaskan Winter?

"The climate made Alaska for me, it was like nothing I've ever experienced before. In Scotland, winter means grey, wet and 'dreich' to use the Scottish word. So to walk out everyday and see the sun shining with snow on the ground was lovely. The short days were unusual at first but I got used to them and I invested in some good layers and learned what merino wool is! 

Now that you are back in Scotland, what do you miss about Alaska?

 

Megan in Scotland, rowing for her home university

"I miss the compact campus. Stirling is a small city and I only have to get a 10 minute bus ride to get to campus, but I loved that UAF was a hub with everything within walking distance- all the dorms, the school buildings, the gym, the dining hall. I also miss my classes- the structure was very different at UAF, rather than lectures, in my classes we often openly debated the issues we were discussing meaning everyone was much more engaged. I also miss the Alaskan lifestyle! Everyone in Fairbanks was so friendly and welcoming."

Would you recommend students to study abroad?

"Absolutely! For so many reasons, to experience a different culture, to learn through a different structure and really just to put yourself in a brand new situation and have to build your life there from scratch- It is challenging but extremely rewarding."

 Describe UAF in one word.

Community.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Megan is currently in the middle of her dissertation and will graduate in June 2016. After that she plans to spend the summer with her family and would love to get some work experience under her belt by doing an internship or volunteering in victim advocacy and the third sector before travelling again.

Feature of the Month- November

"I Picked the Farthest University I could Find From Home!"

#UAFGlobal

Johanna Bocklet is a graduate student in Economics at UAF. She is from Koblenz, Germany, a city similar to Fairbanks. Johanna started her bachelor’s degree in Economics in Heidelberg University and wanted to study abroad for a semester. She didn’t know a lot about Alaska when she chose to go to school here but when she got here, she was infatuated. 

She was fascinated by the Alaskan outdoor, waking up to see the mountains outside her window every morning and viewing the northern lights. After a semester at UAF, she returned to Germany to finish her degree and realized her bond with Alaska was more than an infatuation. She got so used to living and learning in and around the wilderness in Alaska that on her return, Heidelberg seemed to have lost some of its familiarity. She also missed the close attention that the professors provide to the students at UAF because of the small class sizes.

She says “I picked the farthest university I could find from home!” mentioning her love for traveling and living in different countries

She didn’t really know if she wanted to do a job or go to grad school after she earned her bachelor’s degree. But given the chance, she would definitely go back to experience more of Alaska.

Johanna with her colleagues after first snow in September 2015

She says, “I applied to UAF for a master’s in Economics degree in the summer of 2014, got accepted and also got offered a job as a Teaching Assistant in the Economics Department!” She says her master’s program is quite interesting and absorbing.

What do you like about Alaska?

She admires the outdoors and loves to travel. “My favorite places in Alaska are Seward and Valdez!- There are mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, and it is simply amazing!”

(L) Johanna in the coastal city of Seward 

She loves to go backpacking and on skiing trips when she isn’t busy with her job and studies

How were you first summer and winter experiences?

The summer of 2015 was her first one here. “It is crazy to explore Alaska when it is not cold!”

Having not been to a place that isn’t road accessible, she says “I’d love to go to a place where you have to be dropped off by an aircraft and spend some time there. Because in Alaska, you don’t have to “find” great spots. It is beautiful no matter where you go. So whenever I can, I try to head out of Fairbanks and explore!”

“My experience transitioning into winter was a funny one. In the beginning, -5°C seemed pretty cold and I didn’t know if I could bear more but come November it just kept on getting colder and darker!”





Johanna at the temperature display on the UAF campus- very close to joining the 40 below club

Being an exchange student then, she would sometimes find comfort in the fact that she was going home at the end of the semester. The dark and cold however, wouldn’t hold her back from being outdoors. “I would go out skiing in December with my headlight on!” she laughs.

“Even after having a sunrise at 11am and walking back from class at 6pm in pitch black darkness to be greeted by the Northern Lights in the winter is a pretty good deal for living in such a cold place in the winter”

What do you miss about home?

German politics, Sparkling water, family, friends, and especially seasonal food from her region in Germany. Döbbekuchen: also called “poor man’s food”, she adds “Döbbekuchen is made from grated potatoes baked in a pot with sausages (pepperoni or salami) and served with applesauce” with a tone of nostalgia. 

“Specific months remind me of specific delicacies. Like November reminds me of Döbbekuchen: it is a very regional food and other parts of Germany probably haven’t heard about it!”

Are you ready to graduate and leave Alaska?

“Easy answer!
NO.”
She would love to work in Alaska after she earns her master’s degree. “My interest is in environmental consulting. I will apply for jobs and see how it goes from there”. She says, “If not Alaska, I would probably go back and work in Europe.”

UAF in one word

Zu Hause- The feeling of being home.
English sometimes does fall short of expressing feelings with words…

She likes being part of the very friendly community here and feels safe living on the UAF campus.

“If I was traveling home to Koblenz, I would say I’m going home… If I was traveling to UAF, I would definitely say the same”

Feature of the Month- October

"Full of Surprises!"

#UAFGlobal

Junko Yanagida was born and raised in Japan, moved to Hawaii, lived in the lower 48 (the mainland US) for a few years before moving to Alaska in 2010 and to UAF as a graduate student in fine arts and native arts studio program. She lived here for two years after which she got married to Vitaly Lednev, a television and newspaper commercial designer, also an ice sculptor.

She came back to complete her degree in the spring of 2015. Her two week long thesis show, based on birch bark begins on March 19, 2016. 

      

Junko with one of her Birch Bark and Ceramic creations (L) and at work in the studio

Why UAF?

She is very interested in indigenous culture. She has been studying the Australian Aborigines, the native Hawaiians, The Navajo and Utah Indian.  Junko points “Alaska is home to indigenous people living under extreme weather conditions” UAF is the only university in the United States to offer a graduate program in native arts studio.

Junko’s Birch Bark Kimono Project.
This Kimono was the Jury’s first choice of exhibition for the 30^th Annual, 64^th Parallel Bear Gallery Art Show at the Fairbanks Art Community. The show runs all of October 2015

She added, “In the Japanese culture, viewing the northern lights as a child is considered to bring good luck and I wanted to experience the charming lights”, another reason Junko wanted to live in Alaska.

“Don’t forget the Alaskan Salmon!”, she chuckled in the end.

               The Northern Lights, seen by the author in the 

                                  Denali National Park

All these factors made her decide that UAF would be a terrific place to start her Alaskan journey.

First winter and summer experience

She loves the nature and says “UAF is the perfect place for me: situated in the interior, close to the wilderness, but civilized enough to be able to enjoy modern conveniences like going grocery shopping”

Her first winter in Alaska was tough. Even then, she went to the temperature display screen on campus when it was -40°C (-40°F) to take a photo next to it with as little clothes as she could with her friends, to be in the 40 below club. She says “Me and my friends took off our jackets and beanies and posed in the very popular Japanese peace signs!” She caught a cold the next day, but says it was totally worth it!

She loves the summer. She says, “Trees grow quick, faster and longer in the summer. It is beautiful. The contrast is amazing from no leaves at all in the winter to all of the trees exploding with color and life in the summer. It makes me feel like they are bustling with joy” It gives her a lot of inspiration and energy for her birch bark based art work.

(L) "The 40 below club" (From UAF ambassador's blog)

She likes both the extremes. But the transition in between isn’t as fun, she adds. “It is muddy and rainy and you have to wash your car after every drive!”

What do you miss about home?

“I miss food. Especially Miso soup. I even carry a pack on instant Miso soup in my pocket every day for security!” She misses a simple, comfortable meal like rice and Miso soup with family. She comes from a large family where communal meals are commonplace. Though the Japanese community sometimes gets together, having the workload of a graduate student, she has to settle for a lot of alone- meals…

Instant Miso Soup

(From Otakuisine's blog)

She also misses Onsen (Hot springs) “I have to drive an hour and a half to get to Chena hot springs- the closest hot springs to Fairbanks"

What Next?

“I hope to teach drawing/ art in the US for a little bit to students pursuing higher education during my OPT period” She doesn’t mind going to villages/ country sides and teaching drawing.

“You just need paper and pencil. And it is so much better than sitting in front of the computer!” she says. Helping her husband with his designs and ice sculptures is another thing she considers doing after she turns the final leaf in her UAF chapter.

(L) Junko with her student

UAF in a phrase.

Full of surprises!

She says there are countless little surprises hidden here. The weather, food, people, the occasional days off when students get to sleep in because the roads are too slippery, how people dress for up- winter weddings in boots and jackets and so on…

UAF is a very different and interesting place. She hopes many of international students have their first experience in the United States here at UAF.

Feature of the Month- July

‘It was my first time abroad’

#UAFGlobal 

Marcel Soubrovsky Clemente, 20 years old, left São Paulo, Brazil, to go live abroad and study petroleum engineering at UAF.

Why Choosing UAF/Fairbanks?

Clemente lived all his life in Brazil, mainly in São Paulo but he traveled all around his home country. He decided to go abroad for the first time in his life about a year ago. He chose the United States. “Mainly because of my field of study: petroleum engineering,” Clemente said. After researching about the different schools and places he messaged some UAF students on Facebook to make sure UAF was a good place for him and his degree.

What does he do in his study?

Clemente chose UAF because of the Petroleum Engineering program. He worked with his professor Dr. Shirish Patil to develop software to calculate the pressure inside. They built it from what the professor will need to teach his students. “The software calculates the pressure in different parts of a pipe with multiple fluids,” Clemente said, “such as water, oil, gas.” His professor will use the software for basic calculations in his Introduction to Petroleum Engineering, Drilling class. The software will be “in a friendly platform,” Clemente said, “it will run on Windows, Mac, Linux and even smartphones.”

UAF in one word: ‘Awesome experience’

Fairbanks and UAF was a totally new experience for Clemente. “My university was in Santos,” Clemente said, “I could see the sea from our windows.”

Fairbanks was a challenge and a big change for Clemente. Instead of the sea, the beach and the sun, he experienced mountains, snow, and -40°F. “It is a different place,” Clemente said, “not like anything else.”

Outside his studies he was able to experience and enjoy winter and summer Alaska. He loves photography, “every night I would go outside and take pictures of the Northern Lights,” Clemente said. During the summer, he takes his bike at least twice a week to take pictures of Alaska’s beauty. He also participated to expositions, such as “The Night Sky.”

His favorite thing about Fairbanks and UAF are the landscapes.

‘Search for Adventures’

Clemente is having a great experience at UAF and he has few tips for the future exchange students.

“Go to Outdoor Adventures.” Outdoor Adventures rent equipment to experience Alaska’s many adventures possibilities. They also offer trips, organized by UAF, to experience Alaska fully and to meet new people. It is a great way to see around Alaska, especially without a car.

“Search for the activities.” UAF has a lot of activities all around campus, from sports to board game to photography and theater. There is something for everyone’s interest. (Come see our “What to do at UAF” page for more details.)

“Try to meet people.” UAF and Fairbanks are “full of interesting people,” meeting people is a big part of your experience wherever you are. People living in Alaska are from all over the world and have stories and experiences to share. Also, people from here will have seen so much more of Alaska. “You can learn from their experiences,” Clemente said.

Where does he come from?

Clemente is from São Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil. There is about 20 million people, a big change from the almost 32 thousand inhabitants of Fairbanks. “It is more crowded than New York,” Clemente said.

His university in Santos is about an hour away from São Paulo. Clemente’s experience at UAF is going well but he still misses the beach, “I used to walk on the beach everyday after class,” Clemente said. Brazil has a lot of delicious food that Clemente can’t have here, such as “brigadeiro,” made out of chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and chocolate sprinkles.

One of Clemente’s favorite things here was the campus.  Through the activities on campus and outside the campus he plainly enjoyed his experience here. In Brazil, as many part of the world, there are no campuses. The U.S. is one of the countries where college is not only studying but also about experiencing and enjoying your youth. Campuses make it easier for students to meet people but also to learn and experience the part of the country where your campus is.

His next adventures

Clemente will leave UAF on August 3rd but he is not done traveling. After the end of his research project he will be going back to Brazil and start a new adventure in Pau, France in 2016.