2024 UAF Geophysical Institute Schaible Fellowship winners announced

Rod Boyce
907-474-7185
Sept. 17, 2024

Kyra Bornong
Photo courtesy of Kyra Bornong
Kyra Bornong

Students in geology and space physics are the recipients of 2024 Geophysical Institute Schaible Fellowships.

Kyra Bornong of Minnesota and Zack Williams of Oregon will each have fellowship financial support for two academic years, 2024-2025 and 2025-2026.

色视频下载淲e are delighted to be able to support Kyra and Zack in their research at the Geophysical Institute and under the guidance of their exceptional faculty advisors,色视频下载 said Geophysical Institute Associate Director Jessica Larsen, who manages the fellowship program.

Bornong earned a master色视频下载檚 degree in geology from Idaho State University, where she studied landslides in Yellowstone National Park.

Her fellowship work will use satellite observations and fieldwork to understand hillslope permafrost conditions and how landslides modify those conditions and the surrounding landscape. 

Williams obtained a master色视频下载檚 degree in teaching from Pacific University in Oregon, where he taught middle and high school. He moved to 色视频下载 and taught at North Pole High School from 2022 to 2024.

Zack Williams
Photo courtesy of Zack Williams
Zack Williams

His fellowship work will focus on modeling Saturn色视频下载檚 magnetosphere using data from NASA色视频下载檚 Juno mission.

The fellowship program is named for Grace Berg Schaible, one of the University of 色视频下载 system色视频下载檚 strongest private financial supporters. She was also a former 色视频下载 attorney general and University of 色视频下载 graduate.

Schaible died in 2017, but the fellowship色视频下载檚 endowment received a $2.2 million gift from her estate in 2018, providing enough of a financial base so that planning for the awarding of fellowships could begin.

The first fellowship was awarded in 2021. Two more were awarded in 2022, when the program opted to award fellowships every two years.

色视频下载淭he generosity of Grace Schaible, in life and through her estate, has benefited the university in so many ways,色视频下载 Larsen said. 色视频下载淗er legacy continues through the Geophysical Institute Schaible Fellowships, which help today色视频下载檚 students become the breakthrough scientists of the future.色视频下载

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Jessica Larsen, 907-474-7992, jflarsen@alaska.edu

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