Dr. Steve Konkel presents Are Healthy Sustainable Alaskan Communities Attainable? Change and Innovation in NW Alaska Communities. Today, changes in environmental conditions have accelerated in NW Alaska communities. Given a host of problems, from coastal erosion to melting permafrost to the effects of severe winter storms, it seems improbable that healthy sustainable communities are possible. Dr. Steve Konkel envisions otherwise and offers a refreshing analysis of how Arctic governing bodies in NW Alaska Communities can take hold of their future. Dr. Steve Konkel teaches courses on Arctic policies in the UAA Public Policy and Administration Dept. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering/Univ. Colorado, a master’s degree in City Planning/Harvard, and a PhD in environmental policy development/MIT.