Diane O'Brien named director of the Institute of Arctic Biology
June 21, 2024
Diane O鈥橞rien has been named director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks . O鈥橞rien, a professor of biology and wildlife, has served as interim director since 2021.
鈥It鈥檚 been a real privilege to work with such an outstanding and passionate group of researchers over the last three years, and I鈥檓 looking forward to what鈥檚 next for IAB,鈥&苍产蝉辫;O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淯AF has been a wonderful place to grow research collaborations across disciplinary boundaries, and I鈥檓 hoping to preserve and foster such opportunities for the institute.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
O鈥橞rien, who was recently elected to the , has served as deputy director of the UAF , as well as IAB, and has been a full professor since 2015. She came to UAF in 2004 as an assistant professor in the , which has joint appointments within the institute.
She earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology from Amherst College and her doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology from Princeton University.
翱鈥橞谤颈别苍鈥檚 research investigates nutritional questions in public health and ecology using naturally occurring stable isotopes.
鈥淭hrough the years she has made UAF a better place through her thoughtful teaching and mentorships, while making significant scientific contributions in both ecology and biomedical research,鈥 Vice Chancellor of Research Nettie LaBelle-Hamer said in an email to faculty and staff.
IAB was established in 1963 to advance knowledge of northern biological systems through the integration of research, student training and service to the state of Alaska and the nation. The institute houses programs focused on ecosystems of the North and their responses to climate change, physiological adaptations to extreme environments, the dynamics of Alaska鈥檚 wildlife populations and their management, and biomedical research relevant to Alaska鈥檚 people, including study of food systems and behavioral health.
A copy of this article was first published in a .