Plastic insulation like Styrofoam is commonplace in seafood packaging and buildings.
But plastics never completely disappear, instead they break up into ever smaller particles
or microplastic. These tiny particles are harmful to the soils, marine environment
and wildlife, and may affect human health.
Researchers with the Biomaterials Lab seek to better understand the effects of these
stray plastic bits. The team is working to solve the global plastic pollution problem
by developing insulation that is recyclable, reusable, and biodegradable. Researchers
combine design-thinking, microbiology, and physics to dream-up scalable biological
materials that store carbon and provide a sustainable vital barrier from the elements.
Their key ingredients to de-carbonizing industries include beetle-kill spruce trees
and renewable cellulose that is literally grown in a lab. The Biomaterials Lab is an active innovation platform for new bio-based
materials and circular bio-economy solutions in the Circumpolar North. The lab uses
norm-critical design thinking as a framework to tackle some of the most pressing environmental
and public health problems facing the Arctic today.
Della Keats was an Iñupiaq healer whose legacy in traditional healing resonates across Alaska. In her honor, UAA offers programs to support rural and Alaska Native students pursuing careers in health care.
This summer, high school students in the Della Keats Program, administered by UAA’s WWAMI School of Medical Education, spent four immersive weeks at UAA's Anchorage campus, engaging in health science coursework and experiencing residential life.
The Della Keats program introduces students from all parts of Alaska to college courses, dorm life and big-city educational opportunities specific to health-science.
Students at the statewide HOSA - Future Health Professionals Leadership Conference participated in competitions showcasing their instructional knowledge in physical therapy, dental science, nurse assistant, sports medicine, forensics, vet science, and phlebotomy.