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INE showcases applied Arctic engineering for Senator Murkowski

The Institute of Northern Engineering hosted Sen. Lisa Murkowski on April 18, along with a group of parliamentarians from Canada, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, for a research facilities tour at the UAF Troth Yeddha’ Campus.

The visit focused on a central question of science and engineering research developed to solve challenges across Alaska’s infrastructure, energy systems, and environment. Led by INE Director Nicole Misarti, the group toured the Duckering and Usibelli Buildings, where they saw how research moves from controlled environments to field application. Since 2023, INE researchers have worked at more than 200 sites across Alaska, connecting lab-based analysis with on-the-ground research.

A key highlight was the upcoming Alaska University Radiocarbon Observation Research and Analysis facility, supported in part through federal funding secured by Sen. Murkowski. Expected to open in summer 2026, AURORA will establish the state’s first in-state radiocarbon dating capability, expanding Alaska’s ability to study environmental change and long-term landscape dynamics.

Throughout the tour, researchers demonstrated how INE’s work spans multiple systems that are often treated separately but are deeply connected in Arctic environments.

At the Natural and Energy Resources Engineering Center, with Director Brent Sheets, visitors saw how specialized lab tools can detect trace elements with high precision to help unlock Alaska’s mineral potential and learned about new field technologies that can lower costs, improve efficiency, and enhance mine safety. 

In the High Bay Structural Testing Lab, with the Arctic Infrastructure Development Center, Director Billy Connor showed how INE’s stress-test materials are tested at full scale. Inside the 120-foot-long, 40-foot-high facility, the largest of its kind in Alaska, researchers simulate real conditions to see how infrastructure performs under the pressure of the North.

The same focus on real-world performance is carried into how those materials are developed. Nima Farzadnia, Director of the Automated Construction and Advanced Materials Lab, showcased research on the use of locally sourced materials such as fly ash and glacial silt in infrastructure projects across the state. In the last stop, Melissa Ward Jones, Director of Water and Environmental Research Center (WERC), discussed how permafrost cores collected across Alaska are processed and analyzed to understand ground ice content and thaw behavior. This work directly informs projects in communities such as Bethel and Point Lay, as well as agricultural efforts like Permaforst Grown and broader research initiatives studying saline permafrost.

Together, the tour demonstrated how INE integrates research, engineering, and field applications to address challenges unique to Alaska while contributing to broader Arctic knowledge and policy discussions.