neering and technology, these inventors and innovators have
been identified as contributors to Alaska’s growing culture of
innovation.
The following are excerpts from the profiles of a selection
of those inducted into the Alaska Innovators Hall of Fame
in 2016. For links to the full inductee list and profiles, visit
thestrivegroup.com/hall-of-fame.
Brian Shumaker
“The best tool for building foundations on permafrost
landscapes is detailed knowledge of changing ground tem-
peratures. Brian Shumaker invented a system that gives en-
gineers and scientists detailed temperature readings of arctic
installations from anywhere in the world.”
Jeff Rothman
“Jeff Rothman improved a sensor that, when deployed in
an Alaska forest, can detect a nuclear explosion on the far side
of the planet or a volcanic eruption in an Aleutian storm. His
patented infrasound sensor is smaller, more accurate and uses
less power than its predecessor. While other sensors are the
size of a blender, his is a hockey puck.”
Alaska Movement
Do you remember when Elon Musk called California’s
High Speed Rail System obsolete before it was even construct-
ed? He then proposed, and is actively testing, a hyperloop that
will send floating transportation pods up to 760 mph through
depressurized tubes between major cities. It goes without
saying that Mr. Musk is an innovative thinker and, more often
than not, he puts his money where his mouth is.
The founders of AlaskaMovement can relate to Mr.
Musk’s frustration of applying archaic or clunky solutions
to modern problems and they too are applying energy and
problem solving skills to make communities more vibrant and
attractive for the future. AlaskaMovement creatively leverages
the digital era and the commitment of community members
to cost-effectively drive sustainable change in the areas of
housing, food and services, transportation and recreation.
Stay tuned for their formal launch in November at
www.alaskamovement.com.
•
Rajive Ganguli
“Rajive Gangulie is a professor at the University of Alaska
Fairbanks who has developed mill simulator software as
part of the university’s program for training mill operators
for large-scale mines. Mill operators run machinery, read
schematics and plans, monitor job progress and sometimes
perform equipment maintenance. Along with UAF’s Tathagata
Ghosh, Ganguli’s team created a software-based training tool
to enhance UAF’s 12-week program.”
Peter Webley
“Peter Webley and his colleagues in the remote sensing
group at the University of Alaska’s Geophysical Institute de-
veloped novel tools to predict the drift of volcanic ash and as-
sess its impact on daily transportation operations. Building on
more than 20 years of research and experience and becoming
one of the first companies to be spun off from the university,
Webley’s company offers ‘decision support software’ to the avi-
ation community so they can better plan and schedule flights
without putting their infrastructure and personnel at risk.”
Alaska Innovator Hall of Fame
Alaska State Committee for Research
The Alaska Innovator Hall of Fame was created by the
Alaska State Committee for Research (SCoR ) in 2014. Induct-
ees are individuals and teams whose endeavors have had a
tangible impact on the quality of life for the people of Alaska
and across the globe. Working in the fields of science, engi-
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