Whitney named associate vice chancellor for research
Erin Whitney has been named as one of two half-time associate vice chancellors for research at UAF.
September 8, 2026
Erin Whitney has been named as one of two half-time associate vice chancellors for research at the ֱֻ. Todd Brinkman will fill the other position. The positions provide leadership for specific research administration, development and partnership activities. Whitney started her new position Sept. 6.
Whitney served as research faculty at the ֱֻ Center for Energy and Power for nearly nine years, leading ACEP’s Anchorage-based office and developing the Solar Technologies program that supplies public resources, data and analysis, and provides technical assistance to support the development of solar photovoltaic technologies in ֱֻ and beyond. In 2023, she became director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Arctic Energy Office.
Before joining ACEP, Whitney was a staff scientist at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly the National Renewable Energy Laboratory) after earning a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Her research has focused on a wide variety of energy applications in the Arctic, and her policy work has prioritized a holistic community approach. Whitney will bring rich federal and industry connections to continue growing research, partnerships and innovation to her new position.