Department
Natural Sciences
The UAS Department of Natural Sciences facilitates student learning of mathematics, scientific, and analytical methods of thinking as a means to understand the world.
Biology & Marine Biology
Program coordinator: Dr. Heidi Pearson
Environmental Science & Environmental Resources
Program coordinator: Dr. Jason Amundson
Fisheries & Ocean Sciences, Fisheries Science
Program coordinator: Dr. Heidi Pearson
Environmental and Outdoor Studies
Program coordinator: Dr. Kevin Maier
Part of the Program on the Environment, Departments of Humanities and Natural Sciences
Mathematics
Program coordinator: Dr. Brian Blitz
Research at UAS
UAS is at the center of Alaskan research, with unparalleled access to ocean, freshwater, glacial, and rainforest environments. UAS faculty conduct research and creative activities across a range of disciplines, providing excellent real-world opportunities to undergraduate students for hands-on learning.
Advising
Staff
Biology & Marine Biology Faculty
Environmental Science & Environmental Resources Faculty & Staff
Jason M. Amundson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Geophysics
I have a background in glaciology and geophysics. My research focuses on tidewater glaciers and glacier-ocean interactions, and I am especially interested in the ways that glaciers interact with other Earth system components. I teach the introductory physics courses as well as upper division courses in Earth's climate and glaciology.
Profile and contact info
Jason B. Fellman, Ph.D.
Interim Co-director - Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center & Research Assistant Professor of Environmental Science
Profile and contact info
Sonia A. Nagorski, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Geology
My background is in environmental geochemistry, and my research has focused primarily on a variety of contaminants in aquatic systems. I teach classes on Earth's geologic history, physical geology, natural hazards, geomorphology, and mineral and energy resources and environmental impacts. At UAS I devote my efforts to training and inspiring undergraduates to work creatively and effectively in the environmental sciences, preparing them for meaningful careers that benefit the Earth and society.
Sanjay Pyare, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Environmental Science, Geography BS Program Coordinator
Profile and contact infoFisheries & Ocean Sciences, Fisheries Science
Geography, Environmental & Outdoor Studies Faculty
Jason B. Fellman, Ph.D.
Interim Co-director - Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center & Research Assistant Professor of Environmental Science
Profile and contact info
Erica Hill, Ph.D.
Professor of Anthropology
Effective January 15, 2020, Erica will be serving as program director for Arctic Social Sciences at the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, VA. While she maintains her employment with UAS, she is not currently teaching any courses or accepting any advisees. She can be reached via her UAS email.
Profile and contact info
Kevin Maier, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
While my training is in 19th and 20th century American literature, my interests have always been in the cultural components of environmental concerns, often seen from the angle of sport hunting and fishing. Which is to say: I like to mix my outdoor recreation with hard questions about climate change, equity, and environmental justice.
Sanjay Pyare, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Environmental Science, Geography BS Program Coordinator
Profile and contact info
Richard F. Simpson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Humanities, Geography and Environmental Studies BA Coordinator
Literary Theory; Literary Urban Studies; Material Cultures of Education; Nineteenth-Century Labor and Economic Theory; Allegory and the Essay; Cultures of Finance Capital
Lance (X̱’unei) A. Twitchell, M.F.A., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Alaska Native Languages
All systems and spaces have space for Indigenous languages, knowledges, arts, and peoples. You can study with us and stand up for Indigenous languages, ways of knowing, and decolonization in revolutionary self-love. Kakḵwa.áaḵw aag̱áa yakḵwadláaḵ: I will try, and I will succeed!
Lora E. Vess
Associate Professor of Social Sciences, Social Sciences Department Chair
Environmental sociology and environmental justice, food studies, social inequality, social movements, scholarship of teaching and learning, sociology of health and medicine
Sonia A. Nagorski, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Geology
My background is in environmental geochemistry, and my research has focused primarily on a variety of contaminants in aquatic systems. I teach classes on Earth's geologic history, physical geology, natural hazards, geomorphology, and mineral and energy resources and environmental impacts. At UAS I devote my efforts to training and inspiring undergraduates to work creatively and effectively in the environmental sciences, preparing them for meaningful careers that benefit the Earth and society.
Mathematics
Megan Buzby, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Mathematics
Appreciates teaching a range of courses from beginning algebra to calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, and mathematical modeling, as well as courses in probability and statistics.
Andrzej Piotrowski
Professor of Mathematics, Natural Sciences Department Chair
Profile and contact info
