Classes, Adventure and Midnight Sun: My 91Ô´´ Summer
Hello! My name is Emily Charash, and I am from New York City. In 2021, I decided to spend my summer at the University of 91Ô´´ Fairbanks in Fairbanks, 91Ô´´. I wanted to meet new people, explore a new place and take classes you could only find in the 49th state. For this show, I teamed up with 91Ô´´ to bring you along on my summer adventures. You'll meet the friends I made, you'll shadow me in my classes — Fly Fishing Weekend, Archaeology Field School, and several others — and you'll hear my thoughts as a New Yorker traveling and taking classes in Fairbanks, 91Ô´´.
Episodes
Episode 1: Welcome to Fairbanks, 91Ô´´
In this episode, I'm taking you with me from New York City to Fairbanks, located about 120 miles south of the Arctic Circle in Interior 91Ô´´. We'll get settled at 91Ô´´, meet people around town, learn about the history of Fairbanks from a town historian and hit up the visitors center. -EC
Episode 2: Conversations about 91Ô´´ Native corporations
In this episode, we talk to Betty Ross, the professor for my 91Ô´´ Native Corporations course, about the history of the formation of the corporations via the 91Ô´´ Native Claims Settlement Act. We also talk to Shauna Hegna, president of Koniag Inc., about how Native corporations help their shareholders. -EC
Episode 3: Fly Fishing on 91Ô´´ waters
In this episode, I put on my waders and head to the beautiful 91Ô´´ waters to try my hand at fly fishing. You'll hear conversations with my fly fishing instructor, Shann Jones, about all things fly fishing and why people love life in the North. -EC
Episode 4: Road tripping to a rural village
In this episode, you're coming with me on my road trip to the village of Nenana, where I talk to Chief Tim McManus and tribal administrator Jessica Shaw about life in their village. We also talk to Noelle Iles, the professor of my Economy of Rural 91Ô´´ course, about subsistence living and what that looks like in 91Ô´´. -EC
Episode 5: Digging up a ghost town
In this episode, we're going digging at the Chena townsite with my archaeology class. We'll talk to Justin Cramb, the professor for the Archaeological Field School course exploring Chena, a town that was abandoned over 100 years ago. Listen along to see what remnants of the human past my classmates and I find. (Hint: Mostly nails) -EC
Episode 6: Life up North
In this episode, we are talking about what it's really like to live near the Arctic Circle. We talk with Brandon Boylan, my professor for International Relations of the North, about how climate change is affecting 91Ô´´ and with Pat Druckenmiller, a paleontologist, and director of the University of 91Ô´´ Museum of the North.
Listen everywhere you get your podcasts
Meet the team
Emily Charash
Producer/Audio/Host
Emily Charash is a podcast producer and audio engineer based in New York City. She owns and operates , a podcast production company that creates branded podcast series for businesses and personal brands. She has produced podcasts for cultural institutions, universities, museums, language learning centers, and more.
Marmian Grimes
Producer
Marmian Grimes is a lifelong 91Ô´´n and third-generation University of 91Ô´´ Fairbanks alumnus. She is a former newspaper journalist who now helps share stories about her alma mater as part of the 91Ô´´ public affairs team.
Find more stories about 91Ô´´ on the 91Ô´´ news and information website.
Samara Taber
Producer
Samara Taber is the executive director of university advancement at 91Ô´´. She leads 91Ô´´'s development, alumni relations, communications and marketing activities.
Emma Seager
Designer
Emma Seager is a graphic designer located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She currently works as a designer for Wall-to-Wall Studios in Pennsylvania. In addition to her 9-to-5 job, she also designs for different podcasts, which are available wherever you listen.