UA Representatives to Visit Kodiak to Discuss Future of Fisheries Research Facility

Kayla Desroches/KMXT

Budget concerns surrounding the University of Alaska Fairbanks Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center on Near Island has led to the fear of its closure. That’s one topic that UA President Jim Johnsen and the leader of the task force assigned to the issue will address in Kodiak when they drop by this week to meet with local groups. Johnsen, who joined the university in September 2015, says he’s not aware that closure was ever an option. He explains KSMSC’s future was one of the first matters that landed on his desk.

“There was a recommendation from the chancellor at the time, the former chancellor, at University of Alaska Fairbanks to transition this facility, not close it, to transition it over to Kodiak College.”

Which is under the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Johnsen says the possibility of the change then became public.

“Which it ought to. As a public university, it’s expected and encouraged that these issues come out, and so, I started getting feedback from friends and colleagues in Kodiak saying ‘Hey, we think this is a bad idea. We think you outta have a look at this. A fresh look at this.”

That’s one of the reasons he put together a committee of different members from the academic community, including from UA and Kodiak College. He tasked them with giving a recommendation to the chancellors of UAA and UAF on the facility’s future by March 1, and the chancellors in turn will give feedback to Johnsen on what direction to go with KSMSC. Johnsen assigned Vice President of Academic Affairs and Research, Daniel White, to lead the task-force.

White says he’s met with the committee once to discuss objectives and they will meet again after White stops by Kodiak to speak with local groups. One of those will be the KSMSC Policy Council.

“It’s important to me to hear from them. They know KSMSC very well. Most of them are from Kodiak or from the industry, and they know the industry well. And so they, I think, that group in particular, knows very well what KSMSC’s opportunities are, what its challenges are, and I want to hear firsthand from them.”

He says he also wants to hear ideas from the various representatives he’ll meet with. He says there are many examples of universities and communities – or businesses – that have joined together to support

“There are various types of public-private partnerships. Could be a private company. It could be a consortium of companies that are working together with the university. Various universities have consortia that are developed specifically to help manage facilities, research facilities in particular.”

While in Kodiak Thursday and Friday, White will also meet with the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly, Kodiak City Council, and a local task force that has gathered to discuss the facility’s future. If you’d like to hear from White and Johnsen and give public comment, you can join the borough assembly and city council at their joint work session Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. in the Kodiak Public Library multi-purpose room.                          

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