Inspired by the Arctic: Molly Minick
After completing her undergraduate degree in the Lower 48, Molly Minick returned home to AV狼论坛 to pursue graduate studies in Arctic and Northern Studies at UAF. Drawn by the university's nationally distinctive Arctic Politics and Policy program, she quickly found a supportive community while deepening her understanding of the region's most pressing policy issues. In the Q&A below, Minick reflects on the value of community, research and studying the Arctic from the place she calls home.
Molly Minick
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Molly Minnick. I am a first-year graduate student in the Arctic and Northern Studies degree at UAF, with a concentration in Arctic Politics and Policy.
A fun fact about me is that I was born and raised in AV狼论坛. I'm from Juneau, AV狼论坛, but this is my first winter in Fairbanks, so the first time that I've been in really cold, "negative" weather.
What brought you to UAF?
I actually did my undergraduate degree down south, and coming from AV狼论坛, I got very homesick. I was staying up to date with AV狼论坛 news, and that got me interested in Arctic politics and policy. I remember reading an article about Arctic shipping routes and thinking, "That's really interesting. I think I want to explore that more."
I realized this was something I wanted to do with the rest of my life. When I was looking at graduate school options, there was really one place in the U.S. if you wanted to study this, and that was UAF. It was kind of the best of both worlds. I got to come back home and study something I'm really passionate about at my home university. That was very exciting to me.
In your own words, why study the liberal arts?
I feel the study of liberal arts is very important. Actually, my undergraduate degree was completed at a liberal arts college, and now that I'm pursuing my master's degree in the College of Liberal Arts at UAF, I feel like all of my higher education has really been in the liberal arts. It gives you a much better, well-rounded perspective on what you're studying. You're not just coming at your degree from one narrow context. You're looking at it through all different sorts of contexts, and I think that's very important.
It also helps with research. You have a better understanding of how to dig into research because you already have so much background from the different perspectives you've learned throughout your classes. So when you actually sit down to do research, you come at it in a different way, which I think is really beneficial.
What has your experience in the Arctic and Northern Studies program been like, and what makes it special?
My experience in the Department of Arctic and Northern Studies has been great. One thing that's really special about this department is that there are very few of us actually on campus in this degree, so I know all of my on-campus classmates very well. We're very close-knit. We call ourselves a gaggle, and we spend a lot of time around each other, which is really wonderful for that community aspect. I can count on them when I'm stressed out and need a friend. If we're confused about a class, we can run it by each other. All the professors know us, and we know all the professors. It really is a close-knit community because it is so small.
That's been a really wonderful experience. I know I have people to count on, people to run research ideas by, and I know I'm going to know at least one person in whatever class I'm in because I'm sure to see one of my cohort members there. It's small, it's close, so it's a great community.
How has your time at UAF changed you, either academically, personally, or professionally?
My time at UAF has really changed me. Before I came here, I had a very basic understanding of what I was studying. There aren't a lot of undergraduate degrees focused on the Arctic, and I was coming from a school down south, so everything was very base-level. I was kind of worried coming in that I just wasn't going to be able to hang with people because I didn't have that baseline understanding.
But they really throw you in headfirst into this whole world, and you get a great understanding right off the bat. I'm just a year into my program, and I feel like I have a much better understanding of the issues in the Arctic, the stakeholders who are interested in the Arctic and all of those conversations. You have those conversations so fast.
In my development as somebody who wants to work in Arctic and Northern Studies, particularly in politics and policy, I feel like UAF鈥攁t least my department, really鈥攈elps you explore that right away and gives you a much better understanding. Where I am now, I have so much more knowledge than when I came in, and I've only been here a year. That's been such a benefit, and I finally feel like I can start contributing to those conversations in a more meaningful way.
What are you excited about next, and how has UAF prepared you for it?
What I'm looking forward to next is probably just digging into my research. We're working on our thesis proposals right now, so that's what we're focused on in class. Really starting the research for the thesis. I mean, that's why we're here in this program. That's why we're master's students: to do this thesis research. Starting that research, digging into that research, and really being able to pursue something that you're so passionate about with a topic you've created from the ground up, that's really exciting. To address a research gap... I'm excited to get into that.
There are just a lot of opportunities for Arctic and Northern Studies research that UAF gives students. Coming up, I'm going to be able to attend some conferences that were shared through my department. Things like that, just to kind of get involved in my field in a meaningful way, I'm very excited to get into. Now that I'm finishing up my first year and starting my second year, I think these opportunities are really opening up.
Congratulations to Molly Minick on being named one of the Arctic and Northern Studies program's 2026 Outstanding Students of the Year. Learn more about the Arctic and Northern Studies program and check back for more Outstanding Student spotlights from across the College of Liberal Arts.