51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø

CEM Makerspace supports research

When people think about research support at 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø, they often picture advanced labs, field stations, or high-tech instrumentation. But sometimes innovation starts with a thought that spurs a new prototype. That’s exactly what tends to happen at the College of Engineering and Mines Makerspace.

The latest success story started when 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø Ph.D. student Amy Jenson partnered with the Makerspace team to design and build custom equipment for field research. The instrument structures were created to support scientific equipment operating directly on the ice for extended periods of data collection and are now successfully deployed on the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Jenson, recently named at the Sitka Sound Science Center, studies tidewater glaciers and how seasonal changes influence glacier behavior and broader climate systems. Her custom research instrumentation, supported by the CEM Makerspace under the guidance of Tate Barhaug, is now being used for glacier and climate monitoring research on the Greenland Ice Sheet.

 The setup includes:

• A GPS powered by a solar panel
• An antenna mounted on a pole was drilled directly into the ice
• A draw wire sensor that continuously measures ice surface melt
• A meteorological sensor collecting temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed and direction data

The project highlights the practical role the CEM Makerspace plays in supporting hands-on research across Alaska and beyond. By helping students and researchers rapidly prototype and fabricate custom solutions, the Makerspace becomes part of the research process itself.

For Tate Barhaug, 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø Makerspace manager, the success of the project reflects the collaborative spirit that drives innovation at 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø. The project also caught the attention of Peter Webley, director of the 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø Center for Innovation, who noted that designs like these may even qualify as invention disclosures due to their novel application and functionality in extreme environments.