UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research

Educators, check your emails! We are excited to complete this research in service of schools and communities in our state.

Read more: iseralaska.org/2026/02/caep...

A map of Alaska filled with speech bubbles. Text on image: Alaska Statewide Educator Exit and Stay Survey, help shape the future of education in Alaska.

Calling all educators: we’re currently running a statewide educator survey!

ISER's Center for Alaska Education Policy Research sent a survey this month asking educators about their schools, communities, and future plans. Results will inform workforce decisions and boost retention across #Alaska.

A woman in a sweater stands in the snow overlooking Anchorage. Text on image: UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research

After nearly five years at the helm, ISER Director Diane Hirshberg will step down in June and continue as a professor of education policy at ISER and in the UAA College of Business and Public Policy.

Read the full announcement: iseralaska.org/2026/02/iser...

An academic building behind a row of yellow wildflowers. Text on image: UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research

NOW HIRING: ISER is seeking its next director.

For 65 years, ISER has provided high-quality policy-oriented research for Alaskans. Lead our next chapter as we continue informing policy and development in the North.

Apply by March 1. Full job description: careers.alaska.edu/jobs/iser-di...

A woman in sunglasses and a camouflage jacket holds a pole outfitted with monitoring equipment.

Data archived for public use on wildfire hazards and risk from 1984-2054 by Dr. Jennifer Schmidt’s team was recently highlighted by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Meet Dr. Schmidt in this write-up from the NSF Arctic Data Center, which supported the project: arcticdata.io/all/news/202...

A graphic with an image of downtown Anchorage towers and the text: Alaska's Fiscal Options, UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research

And read more about Alaska’s budget options on ISER’s website: iseralaska.org/2026/01/alas...

A line graph titled Household Income Cut. Six lines indicate different scenarios. The Y axis measures average losses in per-person income. The X axis measures per capita income decile. The lines show that a progressive income tax would significantly affect high-income Alaskans and not low-income Alaskans. A flat income tax would also affect high-income Alaskans more than low-income Alaskans. A reduction in the PFD affects all Alaskan income brackets equally. The other lines measure a 3% sales tax, a 4% sales tax, and a property tax.

How would a seasonal sales tax affect Alaska jobs? How does a smaller PFD impact Alaskans’ income? ISER economists modeled the outcomes of 11 different budget decisions facing lawmakers in Juneau. Watch our webinar to learn more: alaska.zoom.us/rec/share/d-...

The 34th Legislature’s 2nd session | Talk of Alaska New taxes, changes to the Permanent Fund Dividend formula, energy development and public safety were all part of Governor Dunleavy’s final address to the legislature. What do lawmakers think of these ...

🔊Tune in to Talk of Alaska *tonight* at 8 p.m. to hear legislators discuss Alaska's fiscal future, referencing recent research from ISER.

(Or listen now online: alaskapublic.org/programs/tal...)

Raising oil, corporate taxes is least-painful option for reducing Alaska deficits, ISER concludes The Institute of Social and Economic Research at UAA analyzed the side effects of various taxes and cuts being considered for a long-term state budget-balancing plan.

Read more about the report and its implications for Alaska via @alaskabeacon.com and @alaskapublic.org: alaskapublic.org/news/economy...

Reminder 📌Join our Wednesday webinar to hear ISER economists break down their recent report from Juneau. Register at: alaska.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

AC is now flying produce direct to three western hubs.

ISER food economist Mike Jones discussed the shortened supply chain with KDLG in Dillingham. By skipping barges and avoiding Anchorage, the new effort can limit food and financial waste in rural Alaska.🍓🥝🍊

🎧Listen in:

Read about our “eagerly anticipated” presentation yesterday in Juneau, where ISER outlined Alaska’s budget options for a crowded room of policymakers.

Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) Fiscal Options Presentation The University of Alaska Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) presents analyses of state fiscal options at Centennial Hall in Juneau.

📺Watch the full talk here: www.ktoo.org/video/gavel/...

📰Read a summary here: iseralaska.org/2026/01/alas...

✈️ISER is on the road in Juneau. Our faculty met with policymakers yesterday to discuss Alaska’s fiscal options, and the implications of potential budget decisions.

Thanks to everyone who came to our presentation. We look forward to meeting with policymakers throughout the legislative session.

To see a summary of the policy options and implications, visit ISER's website: iseralaska.org/2026/01/alas...

We’re hosting a webinar on Alaska’s fiscal future. ISER evaluated 11 budget options to determine effects on Alaska’s job, incomes, and more.

📌Join our webinar on Weds. Feb, 4 at 4 p.m. as ISER researchers break down the policy options facing lawmakers. Register: alaska.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Developing a clearer picture of energy in Alaska Alaska energy systems are complex and often exceptional. From the trans-Alaska oil pipeline to the integration of wind, solar and battery systems into remote microgrids and the proposed deployment of

📰And read more about the decade-long partnership between ACEP and ISER, as well as the new Alaska Energy Data Gateway, in this recent Fairbanks Daily News-Miner opinion piece from our project partners: www.newsminer.com/opinion/comm...

The Alaska Energy Data Gateway, an online data resource for energy and community data, was recently relaunched after a complete overhaul by ISER and the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) at @uafairbanks.bsky.social

🔌Explore your community’s energy use at: akenergygateway.alaska.edu

Wind turbines stand on a hill overlooking the city of Kodiak Alaska

We’re excited to launch the redesigned Alaska Energy Data Gateway, alongside Alaska Center for Energy and Power.

The easy-to-use tool provides quick access to #energy and socioeconomic data for every town in #Alaska. Explore your community’s rates and usage at: akenergygateway.alaska.edu

ISER researchers Noah Burke and Brock Wilson analyzed 20 years of teacher retention data to build the brief, which is now available online: scholarworks.alaska.edu/bitstream/ha...

A playground in front of a school building in Kotzebue. Logo on image: UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research

ISER has been a go-to resource for Alaska policymakers since 1961. For the latest example, check out our newest policy brief on the ramifications of retirement plans for Alaska educators.

Researchers examine the role Black barbershops play as health care spaces for men For the past two years, social work assistant professor Amana Mbise, Ph.D., and behavioral sciences research assistant professor Nathan West, Ph.D., conducted community-based research to examine the r...

A recent project brought Black barbers to UAA for a public health conversation organized by ISER, UAA School of Social Work, Alaska Black Caucus, and Alaska Department of Health. The conversation could improve health outcomes for Black men through the trusted space of the barbershop.

✂️Read more:

Barbershops offer far more than a haircut. They also play a role in men’s health, especially for Black men often missed by public health messaging.

Alaska’s strategic importance highlighted amid rising global tensions As geopolitical tensions escalate on the world stage, Alaska finds itself at the center of a critical conversation about U.S. security and economic strategy.

With #Greenland in the spotlight, ISER Director Diane Hirshberg talked to @alaskasnewssource.com about the geopolitical picture in the North, the importance of #Alaska, and the economic opportunities for Alaska's resource industry.

📺 Watch now: www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/01/14/a...

Why Is Trump So Intent on Acquiring Greenland? President Donald Trump has for years had his eyes set on the island, which he has repeatedly threatened to annex. Why?

In #Greenland, it's a risky misconception that “rare minerals” are especially rare. Read more from ISER professor Bob Loeffler, who spoke to TIME magazine about American ambitions in #Greenland and the economic feasibility of mining on the island: time.com/7344877/trum...

The project team consulted residents from 31 rural and urban communities across Alaska, the Yukon, and the Lower 48. Their results offer practical wildfire solutions that balance benefits for both economy and ecology. Read more in the journal iScience: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Mitigating increasing wildfire risk through fuel break innovations A warming climate and expanding wildland urban interface are escalating wildfire risk to human life and property in the boreal forests of western Nort…

🔥New research🔥 ISER’s Jennifer Schmidt joined a collaborative project to innovate fire breaks in the North. The team proposed four scenarios that safeguard communities from wildfire risk without sacrificing economic and cultural benefits of the land.

Figure 5: Changes in per pupil spending relative to inflation in the same time period. Source: US Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances. The chart compares 2017-2019, 2019-2022, and 2022-2023 and tracks the US average, the 41 states that reported 2023 data, and Alaska. The chart reflects changes in spending relative to inflation. While other states on average invested in education at a rate higher than inflation, Alaska’s per-pupil spending increases have been less than inflation in the same time period. For example, in the 2022-2023 school year, the 41 states that report data increased spending by 1.6% over inflation. Alaska decreasing spending by 3.4% compared to inflation in that time period.

Stay informed and see for yourself. You can read the full report report at: scholarworks.alaska.edu/bitstream/ha...
ISER economist Matthew Berman contributed to the research.

Figure 2: Alaska’s per-pupil spending, adjusted to Anchorage and the US Average, 2017-2022. Source: US Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances The chart compares spending for 2017, 2019, and 2022 and tracks Alaska raw dollars, Alaska, adjusted to Anchorage, and Alaska, adjusted to US average. The char shows that, since 2017, Alaska’s spending has steadily declined relative to the national average. In 2017, Alaska spending was 2% below the national average when adjusted for cost of living. In 2022, Alaska spending was 15% below the national average when adjusted for cost of living.

Today, ISER's Dayna DeFeo presented to leaders and lawmakers to show how Alaska's education spending stacks up against other states. The presentation helps incoming legislators understand how Alaska's education spending has changed over time compared to inflation and the national average.

Children's coats and backpacks hang on a wall of coat hooks at a school

As Alaska’s legislators prepare to convene in Juneau, ISER is ready to provide policymakers with the economics of education.