Powering Resilient Communities

Dr. Bill Schnabel serves as Dean of the College of Engineering and Mines at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he also holds tenure as a Professor of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His academic journey includes a BS in Chemistry from Purdue University, an MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Iowa, and a PhD in Environmental Systems Engineering from UAF. His extensive career at UAF has included roles as Director of the Institute of Northern Engineering, Director of the Water and Environmental Research Center, and Associate Dean before becoming Dean in January 2019. His research interests encompass food-energy-water system dynamics, arctic/subarctic infrastructure planning, cold-region hydrologic processes, water quality, road construction, and renewable energy. Prior to his academic career, he gained valuable industry experience as a Senior Project Engineer at Golder Associates and as a Project Engineer at Ecolotree Incorporated, bringing practical expertise to his academic leadership role. Under his leadership, the college has launched innovative programs including a new energy resource engineering bachelor's program, demonstrating his commitment to advancing Alaska's role in energy innovation.

Daisy Huang serves as Associate Professor of Energy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she has established herself as a leading expert in renewable energy applications for Arctic environments. After earning her BS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley, MS from Santa Clara University, and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from UAF in 2013, she combines academic expertise with seven years of industry experience designing mechanical components in Silicon Valley's semiconductor and power control industries. Her research spans multiple areas including biomass energy, microgrids, power systems integration, and the food-energy-water security nexus. Living in a dry cabin in Fairbanks has given her unique insights into extreme heating requirements and high energy costs, driving her work on increasing energy efficiency and developing local renewable energy sources. Beyond her primary research, she contributes to energy education and workforce development while maintaining active projects in solar, wind, and thermal management systems. When not advancing Arctic energy solutions, she enjoys outdoor activities including skiing, hiking, and backpacking, as well as spending time with her retired sled dogs.

Erin Whitney currently serves as Director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Arctic Energy Office, following her impactful tenure as Research Faculty at the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP). After earning her bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Williams College and PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder, she spent nearly a decade as a staff scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory before returning to her hometown of Anchorage in 2014. During her nine years at ACEP, she founded and directed its Solar Technologies Program, managed the Data Collection and Analysis Program, and led groundbreaking work on the Alaska Affordable Energy Strategy. Her achievements include establishing the Bifacial Solar Photovoltaic test site with Sandia National Laboratories, founding the Alaska Hydrogen Working Group, and leading a multi-year National Science Foundation project exploring food, energy, and water security. As a 2022-23 Fulbright Scholar to Germany at the Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Energy, she studied hydrogen energy systems for remote microgrids. In her current role as Arctic Energy Office Director since January 2023, she continues to champion innovative energy solutions while implementing the Department of Energy's Arctic Strategy to facilitate national energy policies and initiatives.

Srijan Aggarwal serves as Professor in the Civil, Geological, and Environmental Engineering department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he has established himself as a leading expert in environmental engineering since 2013. After earning his Bachelor of Technology from IIT-Delhi and PhD from the University of Minnesota, he has built an impressive research portfolio focusing on water treatment technologies, biofilms in drinking water, Arctic water quality issues, and environmental biotechnology. His work spans multiple areas including biological remediation, resource recovery from waste materials, oil spill response chemicals in the Arctic, and air quality in cold regions. His research excellence was recognized with both the National Science Foundation CAREER award and a National Academies early-career fellowship in 2018. Currently leading multiple major research projects, including NSF-funded studies on water quality in Alaskan communities and air quality improvement initiatives, he has secured substantial funding from federal and state agencies as well as industry partners. His research impact is evidenced by over 1,700 citations, while his teaching contributions include mentoring numerous undergraduate and graduate students. Through his leadership at UAF's College of Engineering and Mines, where he was promoted to full Professor in 2023, he continues to advance environmental engineering solutions particularly focused on Arctic challenges while maintaining active collaborations across academia and industry.

Jennifer Schmidt serves as Associate Professor of Natural Resource Management at the University of Alaska Anchorage's Institute of Social and Economic Research, where she has established herself as a leading expert in socio-ecological systems research. Her interdisciplinary work focuses on balancing conservation efforts with societal needs, examining critical issues including subsistence and sport harvest, land use, ecosystem management, and climate change impacts. As principal investigator on a National Science Foundation grant, she develops educational materials and tools to help communities understand and adapt to environmental changes. Her research impact is evidenced by over 745 citations of her work, reflecting significant contributions to understanding human-environment interactions in Arctic and Alpine regions. Through her role at UAA, she champions collaborative approaches to natural resource management, engaging stakeholders to co-produce knowledge that bridges academic research with practical applications. Her expertise extends to teaching through UAF's AlaskaX platform, where she contributes to courses on resilient communities and food-energy-water security, helping students understand the complex interactions between human communities and natural systems.