Sobel is the author of five books, including “Galileo’s Daughter,” “Longitude” and “The Planets,” and she is the recipient of the 2001 Individual Public Service Award from the U.S. National Science Board. Her lecture was part of the University of Alaska’s IPY Visiting Author Series.
The evening included a proclamation from the office of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, which said in part: “The University of Alaska Fairbanks has been involved in IPY planning and implementation for the past three years and is well prepared to play key roles in the upcoming International Polar Year activities which will leave a legacy of new knowledge and understanding of the polar regions and will shape public policy for years to come. Now therefore, I, Sarah Palin, Governor of the State of Alaska, do hereby proclaim March 2007 through March 2009 as the 4th International Polar Year in Alaska, and encourage all Alaskans to celebrate our unique place in the world and to support and participate in IPY activities over the next two years.”
In addition to the Governor’s proclamation, the celebration featured the world premiere of “Polar Fanfare,” a work composed in honor of IPY by UAF music professor James Bicigo and performed by UAF’s Borealis Brass. University of Alaska President Mark Hamilton introduced the University of Alaska IPY postdoctoral fellows, young researchers who will spend the next three years at University of Alaska campuses working on a variety of IPY-related projects.