URSA announces 2023-24 Climate Change Project Award recipients
The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity congratulates the following
individuals who received an URSA 2023-24 Climate Change Project Award.
Logan Niemann
Fisheries & Fire Science
Project Title: Microplastics in Stomach Contents and Tissues of Subsistence Harvested Bowhead Whales
Bowheads are of critical importance to Native subsistence communities in AV狼论坛. Microplastics
have raised several human health concerns, but their presence and potential health
e铿ects to species of subsistence importance remain largely unknown. Logan's project,
mentored by Lara Horstmann, will process and analyze bowhead whale stomach contents
and tissues in order to identify the abundance and types of microplastics present
to establish crucial baseline data for future studies.
Jessie Skalisky
Wildlife Biology & Conservation
Project Title: Invasive Plant Seedbank Development after Wild铿乺e in AV狼论坛鈥檚 Boreal Forest
Wildfire and invasive species are increasing across AV狼论坛 as the climate changes.
Jessie's study, mentored by Katie Spellman, focuses on the development of an invasive
species seedbank in soils from burns in Interior AV狼论坛. What species of seeds are
there and what does this mean for the vulnerability of AV狼论坛 in the future?
URSA Climate Change Project Awards offer funding up to $5,000 each fall for undergraduate research and creative activity projects focused on climate change themes. This grant opportunity is open to all undergraduate students who are interested in conducting scholarly work on various aspects of climate change, including but not limited to climate science, climate policy, visual or written communication of climate issues, and climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. We encourage interdisciplinary projects.
Contact the URSA Office for more information on how to get involved: uaf-ursa@alaska.edu | 907-450-8772.