Jessica Garron joins the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center as Deputy Director

Please welcome Jessica Garron, who recently joined the AK CASC as the deputy university director, as well as the newest research assistant faculty member at the International Arctic Research Center. Jessica was formerly an affiliated researcher with the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) at UAF’s Geophysical Institute. In her new position she will be supporting AK CASC operations.

Garron has worked with a broad spectrum of scientists, agency partners, and industry representatives to apply science-based solutions to decision making. Garron received her B.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Maine, followed by her M.S. in Biology (molecular) and her Ph.D. in Remote Sensing in Decision-Making from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). 

Garron was the National Environmental Policy Act coordinator for over two million acres of military-held land in Alaska, has led teams of engineers to develop streamlined data processing and distribution software for satellite-collected data, and has performed oil-in-ice research for the last decade. Prior to joining the AK CASC, she was the Science Team Lead for ACUASI and a Senior Science Consultant for the UAF Vice Chancellor of Research, where she coordinated and conducted oil spill research on behalf of UAF. 

Garron’s primary work identifies remote sensing and UAS technological solutions to scientific and operational problems focused in the circumpolar Arctic, and she also often operates as a knowledge broker of those solutions. Garron helps groups navigate how research can go beyond the academic community and inform decision making in the real world.

“The story doesn’t end with the journal article. My work is taking the awesome science we do here at UAF and applying it to Alaska and Alaskans. I specialize in bringing together teams to create solutions, and enhance outcomes,” said Garron.

In her 21 years in Fairbanks, Garron has been affiliated with UAF in a myriad of positions, including with  the Institute of Arctic Biology, the Forest Soils Lab in School of Agriculture, the Alaska Satellite Facility in the Geophysical Institute, and then ACUASI. Now, the connections she has made during her time at UAF will be an asset as she integrates herself within the AK CASC and IARC communities. 

Though her role as deputy director signifies a large professional shift, Garron will be able to keep close ties to her previous position. In fact, she won’t need to travel far to her new office, relocating only one floor above her previous space.