On this week’s SciFiles, your hosts Chelsie and Daniel interview Maria Milan from MSU’s Civil and Environmental Engineering. Rural Alaskan communities face challenges unique to other areas in the United States. Energy usage and costs are high due to the shipping of materials and cold winters. Many communities are in need of more efficient housing to combat the cold weather and provide a safe, comfortable indoor environment. Maria’s research took her to a remote community on Alaska’s west side, where she performed energy assessments on 27 homes and held interviews with many of these homeowners to talk about housing concerns and future housing. She compiled her data into summaries that were shared with the community and housing director in hopes of future grant funding for new homes.
Listen to learn about challenges faced by rural Alaskan communities and how these challenges can be addressed in future housing. If you’re interested in talking about your MSU research on the radio or nominating a student, please email Chelsie and Danny at [email protected]. Check The Sci-Files out on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube!