UW Law Welcomes Senator Murkowski and Key Stakeholders at Arctic Encounter Symposium
On January 30 and 31, the University of Washington School of Law welcomed experts from around the world to the second annual Arctic Encounter Symposium, designed to explore the shared interests of the United States and the global community in the Arctic. Participants included key industry leaders, policymakers including Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, and regional stakeholders from all relevant sectors, including science, technology, maritime and energy.
Senator Murkowski appeared on the panel titled, “The Future of the Arctic: Moving Forward Together.” You can watch her remarks here:
This year’s Arctic Encounter Symposium, organized by UW Law student Rachel Kallander with strong support from the school's Washington Journal of Environmental Law & Policy, focused on the role of the United States as an arctic nation and the challenges it will confront in its upcoming chairmanship of the Arctic Council, such as climate change, natural resources, investment opportunities and international relations.
"Thank you for joining us for this timely discussion about a range of issues in the Arctic, including ongoing and emerging challenges, policy reform, groundbreaking technologies, and culture and human values,” said UW Law Dean Kellye Y. Testy at the symposium’s opening panel. “In keeping with our mission to serve as leaders for the global common good, and this year’s conference theme, we challenge you to consider the shared interests and concerns of the United States and the global community."
In her discussion of the ways UW Law seeks to engage in interdisciplinary research and collaboration to address society's most pressing problems, Dean Testy mentioned the school's recently created Arctic Law and Policy Institute, led by Professor Craig Allen, which provides objective analysis of selected law and policy issues related to Arctic marine science, governance, pollution prevention and response, safety of navigation, and conservation and management of natural resources for the assurance of a healthy and sustainable future for Arctic peoples.
The full list of speakers at the symposium included:
- Senator Lisa Murkowski, United States Senate – Alaska State Legislature
- Vice Admiral Charles W. Ray, Pacific Area Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Defense Force West
- Fran Ulmer, Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission
- Rear Admiral Daniel B. Abel, Commander, 17th Coast Guard District
- Edward Itta, U.S. Arctic Research Commission, former Mayor of the North Slope Borough of Alaska, former President of the Barrow Whaling Captains Association and the Inuit Circumpolar Council – Alaska
- Brigadier General Guy Hamel, Royal Canadian Air Force, Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy and Plans, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM)
- Representative Bob Herron, Co-Chair, Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, Alaska
- Mikå Mered, Managing Partner, POLARISK Group – London
- Marilyn Heiman, Director, U.S. Arctic Program, The Pew Charitable Trusts
- Brendan Kelly, Chief Scientist, Monterey Bay Aquarium, former Assistant Director for Polar Sciences, The White House
- Rick Fox, President & General Manager, Edison Chouest Offshore
- Senator Lesil McGuire, Co-Chair, Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, Alaska State Legislature
- Dr. Lawson Brigham, Distinguished Professor of Geography & Arctic Policy, University of Alaska Fairbanks; and Fellow, U.S. Coast Guard Academy Center for Arctic Studies & Policy
- Mead Treadwell, Owner, Treadwell Development; Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, 2010-2014; Advisor and Former Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission
- Adrianna Muir, Ph.D., Deputy Senior Arctic Official, U.S. Department of State
- Alice Rogoff, Publisher, Alaska Dispatch News; Co-Founder, The Arctic Circle
- Dr. James Kendall, Regional Director, Alaska OCS Region, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
- Michael K. Young, President, The University of Washington
- Kellye Testy, Dean, UW School of Law
- Craig H. Allen Sr., Judson Falknor Professor of Law; Director, UW Arctic Law & Policy Institute
- Reggie Joule, Mayor, The Northwest Arctic Borough
- Rachel Kallander, Founder & Executive Director, Arctic Encounter Symposium; Manager, Kallander & Associates LLC
- John Iani, Partner, Perkins Coie LLP
- Chris Gregorich, Chief of Staff, The Office of Mayor Murray, City of Seattle
- Steve Wackowski, Operations Manager, Tulugaq, LLC
- Captain John Reeves, USCG Cutter HEALY
View the symposium's full agenda.