T3 Students Shine at Rural Energy Conference
T3 Alaska, in partnership with the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP), invited a group of students to attend and present at the Rural Energy Conference which took place in Fairbanks from September 30 to October 3. This three-day event provided students with an exciting opportunity to meet with energy leaders from research, industry, and the public sector to address the energy challenges faced by Alaskan communities. They represented the youth voice at this professional conference, where education and workforce development are an important part of energy industry’s future.
The event was covered by Fairbanks News Miner, by Jack Barnwell
Students show off summer research during rural energy conference
As part of the program, each student group created impactful poster presentations to showcase their relevant projects developed over recent months. Under the guidance of ACEP’s Education and Workforce Development Alaska Fellow, Dennia Andrade, students worked diligently on their posters, receiving valuable feedback from energy professionals like Gwen Holdmann, Dayne Broderson, and Mari Shirazi from ACEP. Throughout the event, students engaged with representatives from professionals involved in the energy sector, including the Federal Department of Energy, showcasing their confidence, new skills, and pride in the meaningful work they had accomplished in their communities.
Wrangell students, Ander Edens, Andrei Bardin-Siekawitch, and Anika Herman helped build a remote camera with a redundant solar power source that streamed live coverage of bears feeding at the Anan Wildlife Observatory. Ander, Andrei and Alex Fujiioka presented datapoints that they collected over the summer program on air quality, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and other air particulates at various sites in Alaska. JJ Free and Eldridge Gumbs tackled ocean science and mariculture topics on ocean acidification, declining salmon spawning and kelp farming benefits. North Pole students Daisy Massey and Mary Charlie Kipnuk presented their work on climate-related impacts on the Copper River Basin. Trevor Bereskin, Kalista Douglas and Delaney Long presented their work building and installing a remote weather station at Chena Hot Springs Resort. All of the students were extremely self-directed and passionate about their respective projects. They have a deep commitment to solving problems that arise in their communities through science and technology.
Students had the opportunity to engage with notable attendees include Dr. Mara Luna, Council for Opportunity in Education board chair, Anna Gagnes-Hawes, Director of Admissions, Alisa Alexander, Director of the Center for One Health Research program, Bill Schnabel, Dean of UAF College of Engineering and Mines, Dayne Broderson, ARCTIC program administrator, and Brice Ngzeguo Head of Radiant Business Development. The event culminated in a reception at the Fairbanks Auto Museum, where students presented their projects and shared how the program had fostered their growth and commitment to solving problems within their communities.
