Skip to Main Content

Environmental Science & Environmental Resources

A Natural Laboratory Perfect for Study

Part of the UAS Program on the Environment, the interdisciplinary curriculum in the BS in Environmental Science and BS in Environmental Resources degrees is designed to prepare students for science-based careers in environmental research, management, and consulting. Students completing either of the degrees will have opportunities for hands-on field experience in the glacial and rainforest environments of Southeast Alaska.

Faculty in these fields of study instruct in a variety of disciplines including: the earth sciences, chemistry, physics, biology, math, and spatial analysis. Students learn biological principles and skills in lecture, laboratory, and field courses. A particular emphasis of the program is student involvement in research projects, and undergraduates in Environmental Science regularly present their research results at regional and national scientific meetings.

Our faculty are actively engaged in research programs in areas including: landscape ecology, hydrology, sensor development, geology, environmental chemistry, geochemistry, remote sensing, glaciology, and biogeochemistry.

Blog

Friday, September 08, 2023

Film Premeire,

 

WiththeTide_Juneau_Flyer_small
Uploaded:Fri Sep 8 14:56:33 2023
File size:417560 bytes
 

Forest Wagner 02:57:23 PM
Saturday, August 26, 2023

Paid research opportunity with NASA. 10 weeks long in Spring '24

Please see below for an exciting announcement for a research opportunity from NASA:

Good Afternoon,

I am writing to inform you about 10-week paid research opportunities with the NASA DEVELOP National Program, open to current students and recent college graduates as well as transitioning/early career professionals. Please pass this information, along with the attached flyer, to those who may be interested.

NASA DEVELOP projects focus on helping local, national, and international communities address their environmental concerns while utilizing NASA's Earth-observing fleet of satellites. NASA DEVELOP operates at eleven locations across the country at NASA Centers and other regional locations. This is an excellent opportunity for participants interested in practical applications of remote sensing and GIS, specifically in Earth Science. Participants will work with NASA scientists, partner organizations, and science advisors to learn about the use of NASA Earth science data for use in water resources, disaster management, ecological forecasting, and other applications to address environmental community concerns. 

Responsibilities will include literature review, data processing and analysis, and producing deliverables, such as a technical report, presentation, and poster. While beneficial, previous GIS or remote sensing knowledge is not required for acceptance. This is a multi-disciplinary opportunity for all those interested in Earth science, and we encourage those in the social sciences, general science, engineering, computer science, etc., to apply. 

Applicants must have excellent verbal and written communication skills and be able to work in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment. The days of the week are flexible, but applicants should be able to commit to 20 – 29 hours per week during the term. The position is paid on an hourly basis, which is determined by education level. 

Details about this opportunity and how to apply can be found online at https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/what-we-do/capacity-building/develop

The spring term position application window will be open online from September 1, 2023 to October 6, 2023, with the term starting January 22, 2024, to March 29, 2024. 

Please note some DEVELOP locations will allow for in-person opportunities while others will be completely virtual. For virtual locations, all accepted participants must work remotely from within the United States. Details on location status will be posted on our website when the application opens.  

Please don't hesitate to contact me, Ben or Lisa (cc'd on this email) with any questions. 

Best,

Michael Pazmino

Center Lead & Geoinformatics Fellow

NASA DEVELOP National Program | SSAI

o: (818) 393 - 1018 

Participant_RecruitingFlyer2024
Uploaded:Sat Aug 26 11:25:13 2023
File size:546352 bytes
 
m: (310) 617 - 7816

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

"Dare Mighty Things"

4800 Oak Grove Dr.

Pasadena, CA 91109

 

...

Sonia Nagorski 11:26:35 AM
Saturday, May 06, 2023

shuttle to the BBQ

I will be driving a UAS van to the BBQ tonight and will take anybody that needs a ride. Let's meet at the flagpole by the Egan Wing at 4:45 pm.

-Jason

Jason Amundson 07:48:40 AM
Thursday, May 04, 2023

Program on the Environment BBQ

Hi all,

Kind of late notice, but we have just decided to have an end-of-year program BBQ. It will be at Auke Rec on Saturday, May 6, from 5:00-7:00. We'll have a grill and a variety of food options. No need to bring anything, just yourself! Feel free to bring friends and family, as well.

We are also planning to get a van to shuttle back back and forth from campus. Details to come.

For planning purposes, it would be helpful if you can fill this form.

We hope to see you there!

-Jason

Jason Amundson 06:23:29 PM
Thursday, May 04, 2023

Alaska Fellows Program accepting applications for Fall 2023

Hi All - the Alaska Fellows Program (https://alaskafellows.org/) is accepting applications for community fellowships (see list below) that run from Fall 2023 to Spring 2024. These are paid positions aimed at recent college graduates. See details below

---------

Hello Lovely Supporters of AFP,

We are deep into the recruitment process for the 2023/24 program term and I need your help.

We still have open positions in all four sites.  Please help spread the word about the following fellow positions:

Anchorage

JUNEAU

FAIRBANKS

SITKA

Prospective fellows can learn more and apply HERE.

Thanks everyone!

Tina

--
Tina Buxbaum (she/her)
Executive Director
Alaska Fellows ProgramA part of Outer Coast
907-978-8383
alaskafellows.org
Working and living in the traditional homelands of the Lower Tanana Dene. I acknowledge the ancestral & present land stewardship and place-based knowledge of Alaska Native peoples.

www.facebook.com/alaskafellows
www.instagram.com/alaskafellowsprogram/

 

 

 

Eran Hood 10:13:40 AM
Wednesday, May 03, 2023

Attention recent and new graduates- one year post-baccalaureate fellowship opportunity- Climate Justice

Members of classes of '22 and '23: Please see below for a one-year opportunity at the University of California-Irvine. Email from Prof. Kathleen Johnson below, with attachment:

 

Hello All,

I am beyond excited to announce that the NSF-funded UCI Climate Justice Initiative (website under construction, but based in the Dept. of Earth System Science), in partnership with the UCI Research Justice Shop, is recruiting six recent college graduates for paid one-year postbaccalaureate fellowships focused on climate change, environmental justice, and community-engaged research.  This opportunity is open to recent BA or BS recipients (class of 22 or 23) in any discipline, though those from geoscience and related STEM disciplines are especially encouraged to apply! The program will run from September 1, 2023 - August 31, 2024 (and again each year through at least 2027!).

CLIMATE Justice Postbac Fellows will:

  • Learn new technical skills and gain hands-on research experience with UCI faculty who are working on cutting-edge climate research.
  • Work closely with community partners on co-designed projects that address environmental justice issues (our partners include Orange County Environmental Justice,Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous PeoplesMPNA Green, and Crystal Cove Conservancy).
  • Attend workshops and classes on environmental justice and community-engaged research methods.
  • Be guided by a diverse network of mentors.
  • Participate in professional development activities designed to help you achieve your career goals, whether that be entering the job market or pursuing graduate studies.
  • Be part of a diverse and multi-disciplinary community of students, researchers, faculty, and staff dedicated to centering social and environmental justice in climate change research.
  • Receive a Certificate in Climate Change and Environmental justice upon completion of the one-year program.

The CLIMATE Justice initiative strives to foster an inclusive and collaborative working environment that welcomes diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and life experiences. We strongly encourage applications from members of historically marginalized communities, and graduates from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). We also encourage applications from those who have had limited opportunities to participate in research or professional development activities during their undergraduate studies.

We will hold a virtual info/Q & A session on Monday, May 8th 2-3 pm PT. Register here. (Session will be recorded and a link will be sent to all registrants)

 

Applications are due May 31, 2023. For more information and to apply: https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF08177 

CLIMATE Justice Postbac Recruitment_2023
Uploaded:Wed May 3 09:32:56 2023
File size:167791 bytes
 

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

Best wishes,

Kathleen

--
Kathleen R. Johnson (she/her)
Associate Professor, Department of Earth System Science

ADVANCE Equity Advisor, School of Physical Sciences

Director, UCI Climate Justice Initiative

President, AGU Paleoceanography & Paleoclimatology section

3200 Croul Hall

University of California, Irvine

Irvine, CA  92697-3100

 

Phone: 949-824-6174 
Twitter: @cavesandclimate
Website : Terrestrial Paleoclimate and Geochemistry Lab

The Department of Earth System Science acknowledges our presence on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Acjachemen and Tongva peoples, which extends from the Santa Ana River to Aliso Creek and beyond.  We are grateful to these original stewards of the land where we live, work, and study, who despite the history of violence and racism, forced displacement, land theft, and colonialism still hold strong cultural, spiritual, and physical ties to this region.

Sonia Nagorski 09:34:10 AM
Tuesday, May 02, 2023

Alaska Dept. Natural Resources - hiring Resource Specialist

Alaska DNR is hiring a resource specialist position in Anchorage focused on hydrology and GIS - details below.

Natural Resource Specialist 1 (PCN: 10-N21072)

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/alaska/jobs/4023734-0/natural-resource-specialist-1-pcn-10-n21072

The PAAD Section is a small, tightly knit group of resourceful, dedicated and creative professionals who strive to ensure that Alaska’s constitutional promises of public access to natural resources, lands and waters are kept for all Alaskans. Simply put, the vast treasures of Alaska are out-of-reach to most Alaskans in the absence of the public access that our trails, our rivers, our lakes and our other waters provide. The work of the PAAD Section spans many diverse fields such as law, history, archeology, hydrology, geomorphology and geology; it involves extensive involvement in litigation and administrative proceedings to enforce public access rights; it utilizes cutting-edge technologies, practices and techniques in collecting and presenting data in support of its mission; and it requires extensive remote fieldwork to perform its important duties.     

The PAAD Section has two primary public access missions: (1) protecting state title to submerged lands and navigable waters statewide and (2) protecting state title to RS 2477 rights-of-way and other public trail networks statewide. Examples of responsibilities of this position include assisting PAAD staff in compiling and analyzing data for the Alaska Navigable Waters Map which provides an authoritative reference regarding navigable waters and submerged lands owned by the State of Alaska and available as public access routes.

For specific information in reference to the position please contact:

 

Name: Kara Moore

Title: NRM II

Phone: 907-269-6008

Email: kara.moore@alaska.gov

 

Eran Hood 06:43:33 PM
Wednesday, April 12, 2023

USGS Hydrologic Technician positions

The USGS is hiring entry-level hydrologic technicians in Juneau, Anchorage, and Fairbanks. See details below.

USGS Alaska Science Center Hydrologic Technician Openings:

USGS Alaska Science Center has five current openings for hydrotechs in Juneau, Anchorage, and Fairbanks.  The positions are term (not to exceed 4 years) and open at GS-5/6/7. Hydrotechs at the Alaska Science Center collect surface water, water quality, and groundwater data at over 150 monitoring locations across Alaska.  Duties include streamflow measurements, levels, GNSS surveying, records processing, rating development, sonde maintenance, and gage maintenance and construction. Applicants can expect physically challenging work, adverse weather conditions, travel in small aircraft/helicopters/boats, and overnight travel up to 10 nights/month. 

 

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/718080800

Eran Hood 02:23:16 PM
Tuesday, April 11, 2023

2 USFS positions

The US Forest Service is hiring a Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) field Crew Leader that would be based in Anchorage, Alaska. This person would work with the Alaska FIA data collection team as a field staff doing FIA fieldwork in Alaska. The fieldwork would last from late April through early September with opportunities to travel to Oregon, Washington, or California for 1-3 months of fieldwork. We are also going to hire another crew lead that will work with the Pacific Island FIA data collection team and would be based in Hilo, Hawaii. In upcoming years, the Pacific Island FIA crew will most likely be working each year in a different location, this includes Guam (2023), Palau (2024), Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (2025), Federated States of Micronesia (2026), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (2028) and Hawaii (2029-2031). The 1st year is full-time year-round for a GS5/7/9 recent graduate. There is a hiring incentive that would be paid to the selected candidate. After the 1st year the position is currently listed as a GS7/GS9 permanent seasonal position so we would guarantee 6 months of work but many times we have more work if the person is willing to travel and wants to work more.

Forest Inventory and Analysis is a nationwide program which collects, processes, analyzes, evaluates, and publishes comprehensive information on forest and other related renewable resources. The Anchorage Forestry Sciences Lab (AFSL) is part of the US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station (PNWRS), and is responsible for the inventory of Alaska, Hawaii, and US affiliated Pacific islands. The FIA program conducts forest inventories and forest health monitoring on forestlands of all land ownerships. FIA installs permanent research plots that are measured on a 10-year cycle. A wide range of forestry variables are collected on each plot in addition to forest health measurements that can include vegetation, lichens, soils, fuels, and crown measurements. The inventory data are widely used by forest managers, local and state governments, and federal agencies in making policy decisions.

The Crew Leader reports directly to an FIA Field Coordinator and is responsible to lead a crew of two to four people collecting field data for annual inventory and forest health monitoring. The Alaska Crew Leader will have the possibility of working part of the field season on a research vessel and part supporting land-based operations elsewhere in Alaska. Pre- and post- season work occurs in Anchorage. The Pacific Islands Crew Leader position will spend 8-12 weeks at a time at the field location and the pre- and post- season based in Hilo. The Crew Leader is responsible to ensure the safety of the field crew and that data collected by the crew is accurate, reliable, and repeatable. The primary technical
responsibilities of this position include photo interpretation, locating inventory plots in remote settings, measuring various forest and site attributes, and supporting the safety program. Crews use portable, handheld computers to collect data in the field and then process the data later using laptops to address
any inconsistencies or errors in field data collection. Duties include daily documentation, downloading, and editing of field data. This position will receive training leading to certification as a resource helicopter manager.

This position is being hired through the MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences) Forest Service mass hiring event. https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/jobs/events/MANRRS-hiring. These positions will be open on USA jobs from April 10th -20th.

https://forestservicecareers.usajobs.gov/

Jason Amundson 09:37:31 AM
Wednesday, April 05, 2023

Day 2 of the "How to apply for graduate school" workshop

Day 2 of "How to Apply for Graduate School" Workshop
Thursday, April 6th from 330 - 430 PM
Anderson 204
Food will be provided

Topics to be covered: 
- A breakdown of the GREs, along with tips and tricks on how to effectively study for the exams
- How to secure external funding for graduate school and why this is important
- How to find the right program or principal investigator 

Jason Amundson 03:23:26 PM

Faculty

Jason M. Amundson, Ph.D.

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

Eran Hood, Ph.D.

Eran Hood, Ph.D.

Professor of Environmental Science

Profile and contact info

Sanjay Pyare, Ph.D.

Sanjay Pyare, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Environmental Science

Profile and contact info

Jason B. Fellman, Ph.D.

Jason B. Fellman, Ph.D.

Deputy Director - Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center & Research Assistant Professor of Environmental Science

Profile and contact info

Sonia A. Nagorski, Ph.D. (she/her)

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.

Profile and contact info

John Harley, Ph.D.

John Harley, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor

Profile and contact info

Emeritus Faculty

Roman Motyka, Ph.D.

Roman Motyka, Ph.D.

Research Professor Emeritus, Geophysical Institute, UAF

Profile and contact info