LeeAnn Munk and Mary Beth Leigh Inducted into the Innovators Hall of Fame.

• Author: Anderson, Tasha

The State Committee for Research is an advisory body formed to promote "research and development as an enterprise and as an engine for economic development in Alaska." To further that goal, it established the Alaska Innovators Hall of Fame in 2014, honoring and celebrating both individuals and inventions in Alaska that "contribute to the state's growing culture of ingenuity."

The original 2014/2015 cohort included more than a dozen innovators, such as Cathy Cahill. who invented an air-sensing system that alerts pilots that they are encountering volcanic ash particles; Elden Johnson, one of the engineers that found solutions for how TAPS would carry hot oil over frozen ground; Mark Gronewald, who contributed to the development of fat tire bikes; and Tim Meyers, who used innovative farming methods to improve the agricultural output of Alaska's tundra.

Just short of a decade later, two more exceptional Alaskans are being inducted into the Alaska Innovators Hall of Fame: LeeAnn Munk and Mary Beth Leigh.

The Integration of Art and Science

Dr. Mary Beth Leigh, a professor of biology at UAF, was nominated by Dr. Diane O'Brien, interim director of the Institute of Arctic Biology. In her nomination. O'Brien writes that she nominated Leigh for her work in building public engagement and understanding of the science of climate and the environment. She writes: "These efforts reached a new and greatly increased level of impact with the first Arctic Fest, a community celebration featuring the arts, sciences, and indigenous cultural and knowledge systems focused on the changing environment. This festival built on over a decade of innovation led by Dr. Leigh and her partners through the In a Time of Change (IToC) program, which brought together scientists and artists as part of the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research... These efforts have resulted in multiple shows, performances, and other artistic expressions of the science of the environment and climate change, which in turn have increased public engagement with and understanding of that science. This is a highly innovative approach to diversifying the perspectives of science and improving the accessibility of science for all."

According to O'Brien, Leigh started innovating art/science integration early in her position at UAF, utilizing her background in dance and her involvement in a local band. At Arctic Fest, which took place in September 2022, forty-five artists created works of music, dance...