The More You Look

In planning to exhibit Bus 142 at the UA Museum of the North, we’ve spoken with many people about their experiences with the bus, their perspectives on the story of Chris McCandless, their connections to the bus that go back into the 70s and 80s. In 2022, writer, reporter, and NOLS instructor, Diana Saverin visited the museum and shared some of her stories. She talked about her crazy, what-are-odds-visit in 2011, and her extended stay in Healy in 2013 as she spoke with Alaskans and with the pilgrims, the visitors to the bus, to understand their very different perspectives–and how she felt, about the bus down the trail.

Included are parts of Diana's 2011 Alaska Public Media story, “A Trip to Bus 142 on Stampede Road.” where she crosses the river, visits the bus, and meets Étienne and a party of stranded pilgrims. The story in full can be found here. 

The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, education, and partnerships, and by creating a singular museum experience that honors diverse knowledge and respect for the land and its peoples.

As the UA Museum of the North approaches its centennial anniversary, we thought we might talk to each collection about that collection, the collection’s history, and what objects might be in a top ten list to include in a celebratory exhibit. This is the Earth Sciences Collection, and here are museum Director and Curator of Earth Sciences, Patrick Druckenmiller, and UAF professor and paleoecologist, Matt Wooller, recorded in the museum’s media lab and collections range in December of 2025.

The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, education, and partnerships, and by creating a singular museum experience that honors diverse knowledge and respect for the land and its peoples.

The museum’s latest exhibit in the Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery, Threshold 32 Fahrenheit, is a collaboration between visual Artist Klara Maisch, writer Debbie Moderow, and ecologist Rebecca Hewitt. The exhibit is a multidisciplinary narrative about change in the boreal forest. It is as much about the process of collaboration and the development of community as it is the observance of the world and creation of art. Klara, Debbie, and Rebecca have worked together before, and began their collaborations under the In a Time of Change program. For our conversation, Klara and Debbie joined UAMN Director Exhibits, Roger Topp at the museum, while Rebecca called in from the U.S. East Coast.

The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, education, and partnerships, and by creating a singular museum experience that honors diverse knowledge and respect for the land and its peoples.

The museum’s latest special exhibit, Observing Our Dynamic Planet, showcases how synthetic aperture radar data allow us to study earth from space. To follow our last episode, which looked at the Alaska Satellite Facility’s Ground Station, this episode comes from the 20 or so interviews we conducted with ASF scientists and engineers in the process of developing the exhibition. Joining us from various points in 2024, are Heidi Kristenson, Joe Kennedy, Simon Zwiebeck, Forest Williams, Andrew Johnson, and Franz Meyer. We talk about the properties of synthetic aperture radar, and about studying global flooding events, permafrost, landslides, glaciers, and earthquakes.

The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, education, and partnerships, and by creating a singular museum experience that honors diverse knowledge and respect for the land and its peoples.

The museum has opened a new special exhibit in partnership with the Alaska Satellite Facility. The exhibit, Observing Our Dynamic Planet, showcases how synthetic aperture radar data is acquired and how it allows us to study global agriculture, forestry, permafrost, flooding events, volcanoes, earthquakes, sea ice, and glaciers. Joining us in this episode are Wade Albright, Director of the Alaska Satellite Facility and Paul Austin, ASF Ground Station Manager to talk about ASF’s most visible landmarks, the 10-meter antennas on the UAF campus. What are they? How do they work? What satellites are we talking to? And what is in store for the facility with the forthcoming launch of NASA’s latest earth-observing satellite?

In addition to Paul and Wade, we’ll hear from Bill Hauer, ASF Science Consultant, Kim Fairbanks, ASF Software Engineer, Rebecca Miller, ASF Product Owner, and Tamara Martz, UAMN Exhibits lead Designer, talking over the exhibit construction noise, as the show came together.

The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, education, and partnerships, and by creating a singular museum experience that honors diverse knowledge and respect for the land and its peoples.

Mary Beth Leigh is UAF professor of microbiology and Arts-Humanities-science integration, and Director of the In a Time of Change (ITOC) program. Dr. Leigh's work has influenced exhibits at UAMN and found their way into shows and programming for much of the program's 18 years. The episode covers Leigh's influences, some of the history of ITOC, and its past and present influences on UAMN exhibits.

The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, education, and partnerships, and by creating a singular museum experience that honors diverse knowledge and respect for the land and its peoples.

From the very beginning, we knew we wanted to produce an episode where we could hear some of the stories as told by the museum’s attendants, those employees who work the front desk, the store, who open the galleries and see to the needs of solo travelers, families, and large tours. This time, Director of Exhibits, Design, and Digital Media, Roger Topp sits with three of our attendants and UAF students, Sophie Zhang, Grace Hopkins, and Claire Thelen.

The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, education, and partnerships, and by creating a singular museum experience that honors diverse knowledge and respect for the land and its peoples.

In this episode, we continue the conversation with UAMN Curator of Insects, Derek Sikes and UAMN Entomology Collections Manager, Jess Rykken, from the full episode, Of the Ants and the Bees. And we cover so many topics including some of the research efforts at UAF, student work, entomology in exhibits, plans for the summer, and posting in iNaturalist.

The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, education, and partnerships, and by creating a singular museum experience that honors diverse knowledge and respect for the land and its peoples.

The last time The More You Look sat down with museum entomologist, Derek Sikes, he hinted that perhaps at our next conversation, he could share some results on his work on the ants of Alaska. That was more than a year ago – and in pretty much that same span of time, the museum gained a second entomologist – Jess Rykken, UAMN’s new Entomology Collections Manager, and a specialist in pollinators. So, some catching up to do, and the conversation will appear in two episodes. In this first part, we discuss Alaskan ants, bees, hoverflies, moths, collection and curation, first impressions, and playing to our strengths.

The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, education, and partnerships, and by creating a singular museum experience that honors diverse knowledge and respect for the land and its peoples.

UAMN Education & Public Programs offers a wide array of activities and resources for teachers, students, families, community members, and visitors of all ages and backgrounds. Opportunities to learn from, inspiration through museum collections and related research. Through collaboration with UAF departments and the community, this museum department connects the public with Alaska's science, arts, history, and cultures whether through hands-on family programs, school field trip opportunities, workshops, kits to check-out, and more. Here’s our conversation with Jen Arseneau, Director of UAMN Education and Public Programs, and Outreach Specialists: Emily Koehler-Platten, Elisabeth Padilla, and Nan Werdin-Pfisterer.

The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, education, and partnerships, and by creating a singular museum experience that honors diverse knowledge and respect for the land and its peoples.