Foundations for Improving Resilience in the Energy Sector Against Wildfires on Alaskan Lands (FIREWALL) Workshop
September 15, 2021
8:00 AM — 5:00 PM (AKDT)
The video recordings of the Workshop Panels are provided in the Agenda table below.
About | Agenda | Discussion Panels| Organizing CommitteeThe FIREWALL Workshop
The FIREWALL workshop, a project supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) program, aims to enhance wildfire-response awareness in Alaska by facilitating a two-way dialogue among researchers, electric utilities, fire science consortiums, local communities, and related stakeholders to provide solutions for emergency preparedness, operational endurance, and enhanced resilience of the unique Alaska electricity grid to wildfires. The visions, insights, and developments shared at this 1-day workshop will help identify the research gaps and prioritize the future research directions and roadmaps to deploy advanced energy technologies for resilience against wildfires, while considering legal and regulatory requirements and local community needs. The workshop is organized in multiple panel discussion sessions, breakout sessions, and video presentations.
Back to TopAgenda
| 8:00-8:15 | Welcome Speech (Video Link) |
| 8:15-8:30 | Keynote Opening (Video Link) |
| 8:30-9:15 | Panel 1: Wildfire and Communities (Video Link) |
| 9:15-10:15 | Panel 2: National Roadmap to Wildfire Resilience (Video Link) |
| 10:15-10:45 | Break |
| 10:45-12:15 | Panel 3: Electric Industry Perspectives on Wildfires Resilience (Video Link) |
| 12:15-13:00 | Panel 4: Fire Science and Wildfire Resilience (Video Link) |
| 13:00-13:30 | Break |
| 13:30-14:45 | Panel 5: Research Directions for Wildfire Resilience Breakout Session 1 (Video Link) Breakout Session 2 (Video Link) Breakout Session 3 (Video Link) |
| 14:45-15:45 | Panel 6: State Perspectives on Wildfire Resilience (Video Link) |
| 15:45-16:45 | Panel 7: Wildfire Education, Communication, and Outreach (Video Link) |
| 16:45-16:55 | Media Display on Wildfires in Alaska |
| 16:55-17:00 | Workshop Adjourns |
Workshop Panels
Please click on the photos and you will see the speakers’ bios.
Welcome Speech (8:00-8:15 AKDT)
Aaron Dotson
Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Alaska Anchorage
Bradley Barker
Program Director, National Science Foundation (NSF) Navigating the New Arctic (NNA)Keynote Opening (8:15-8:30 AKDT)
Lisa Murkowski
United States Senator for AlaskaPanel 1: Wildfire and Communities (8:30-9:15 AKDT)
Moderator
Micah Hahn
University of Alaska AnchoragePanelists
Andrea Jacuk
Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI)
Casey Cook
Mat-Su Borough
Nathan Lojewski
ChugachmiutPanel 2: National Roadmap to Wildfire Resilience (9:15-10:15 AKDT)
Moderator
Donna Attanasio
George Washington UniversityPanelists
Daan Liang
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Stewart Cedres
Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity
Mark Cahur
Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)Panel 3: Electric Industry Perspectives on Wildfire Resilience (10:45-12:15 AKDT)
Moderator
Gwen Holdmann
Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP)Panelists
Brian D’Agostino
San Diego Gas & Electric
Edward Jenkin
Matanuska Electric Association
Jim Butler
Homer Electric Association
Steven Stangle
Chugach Electric Association
Travis Million
Copper Valley Electric AssociationPanel 4: Fire Science and Wildfire Resilience (12:15-13:00 AKDT)
Panelists
Alaska Fire Science Consortium
Alaska Fire Science Consortium
Becky Kerns
Northwest Fire Science Consortium (NWFSC)
Brian Wiens
Canada Wildfire
Yana Valachovic & Christopher Dicus
California Fire Science Consortium (CFSC)Panel 5: Research Directions for Wildfire Resilience (13:30-14:45 AKDT)
Moderator
Tom Marsik
University of Alaska FairbanksPanelists
Jeremy Littell
Alaska Climate Science Center
Christine Waigl
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Cecilia Borries-Strigle
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Todd Brinkmann
University of Alaska FairbanksModerator
Payman Dehghanian
George Washington UniversityPanelists
Don Russell
Texas A&M University
Feng Qiu
Argonne National Laboratory
Andrew Whelton
Purdue University
Scott Anderson
University of Wisconsin-MadisonModerator
Matthew Berman
University of Alaska AnchoragePanelists
Jennifer Schmidt
University of Alaska Anchorage
Hannah Brenkert-Smith
University of Colorado Boulder
Claire Richards
Washington State University
Sara Hamideh
Stony Brook UniversityPanel 6: State Perspectives on Wildfire Resilience (14:45-15:45 AKDT)
Moderator
Allison York
Alaska Fire Science Consortium (AFSC) & University of Alaska FairbanksPanelists
Randi Jandt
University of Alaska Fairbanks
David Lockard
Alaska Energy Authority (AEA)
Mike Butteri
Department of Forestry
Bill Witte
Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB)Panel 7: Wildfire Education, Communication, and Outreach (15:45-16:45 AKDT)
Moderator
Christi Buffington
Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) Community OfficePanelists
Michele Steinberg
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Tim Mowry
Alaska Division of Forestry’s Wildland Fire and Aviation Program
Karli Tyance Hassel
Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) Community OfficeOrganizing Committee
Hana Akselrod
Donna Attanasio
Matthew Berman
Payman Dehghanian
Micah Hahn
Mohammad Heidari
Gwen Holdmann
Miguel Lejeune
Sebastian Neumayer
Jennifer Schmidt
Jinshun Su
Allison York
Special Thanks To
National Science Foundation (NSF)
University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA)
George Washington University (GWU)
Alaska Fire Science Consortium (AFSC)
Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP)