Fairbanks Chamber Weekly Business Luncheon: The Geophysical Institute: Economic Powerhouse in Interior Alaska

Bob McCoy, Director of UAF Geophysical Institute 

The Geophysical Institute at UAF is a major economic powerhouse in Interior Alaska, bringing in about $35 million in federal research dollars each year. Our research is strongly focused on Alaska: wildfires, air quality, climate change, earthquakes, volcanoes, overflow ice on the Dalton Highway, space weather hazards, Alaska mapping, downlinking data from satellite observations, and many more Arctic and Alaska-focused topics. We have unmanned aircraft, rockets, infrasound sensors, and a seismic network. We watch for international nuclear test ban treaty violations. At the GI we are obtaining patents, helping to launch new businesses, and taking other initiatives to diversify the Alaska economy