Dr. Peter Webley

Research Professor; Director, Center ICE

University of Alaska Fairbanks
(907) 474-1542
pwwebley@alaska.edu

Summary

State of Alaska's Northern Innovators Hall of Fame Inductee: Class of 2016 – 2017.

US Patent #9436784, Intellectual property licensee, Formed UAF's first start-up: V-ADAPT, Inc

Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SiVSBiAAAAAJ&hl=en.

Researcher ID: https://publons.com/researcher/2404823/peter-w-webley/.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5327-8151.

39 University of Alaska Fairbanks Invention Disclosures and 2 Technology Licenses.

Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors, first for Alaska.

Team member of crowd favorite and 2nd place at 1st Remote/Virtual U.S. Techstars Startup Weekend.

2010 - present: $45M+ research funding on 52 successful research grants as PI, CO-PI, and CO-I.

2024 UAF Honors College: Robert Piacenza Teaching in Excellence Award Nomination

1st Pioneer Awardee from the Arctic Innovation Competition, CBSM, UAF

Portfolio

Work Experience

director

UAF CENTER for Innovation COMMERCIALIZATION, and entrepreneurship (C-ICE), UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS

2025PRESENT

Lead a team of academics, innovators, and entrepreneurs to provide an extensive range of programs with funding, training, and expertise designed to meet the diverse needs of students, faculty, and staff. PI on Center ICE federal grants from ONR, SBA, NSF, and many others. Advise others in innovation and entrepreneurship practices and integrating innovation training into the academic environment.

Research Professor

University of Alaska Fairbanks

2021present

Affiliation to Geophysical Institute remote sensing and volcanology groups. Research on dispersion modeling of aerosols, remote sensing monitoring and analysis of natural hazards, use of unmanned aircraft systems data for Arctic research, and real-time decision support tools for natural hazards. Also focused on building an innovation culture at the University. Manage several funding opportunities and provide several training programs focused on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Assistant Director - Natural Sciences Lead

Center for Arctic Security and Resilience (CASR), University of Alaska Fairbanks

2020present

In the SOM HHSEM Program and in partnership with the CNSM, GI and IARC. CASR serves as Alaska’s primary resource supporting Arctic-related Homeland Defense, Security and Disaster Management activities throughout the Circumpolar North; advances understanding of changing dynamics in national and human security issues in the Arctic; and supports integrated research and academic efforts regarding resilience in the classroom, laboratory and the field.

Deputy Director

Alaska Center ICE and Office of Intellectual Property and Commercialization, University of Alaska Fairbanks

20202024

Provided support and answer questions on the process for patenting and licensing. OIPC provides services to help you further innovate and test ideas or inventions through Alaska Center ICE. As Deputy Director, I worked on invention disclosure intake and as advocate for technology development. I led the IDEAs awards promotion, reviewing, and liaisons with the disclosures and work with Honors College on solutions for Eielson AFB Spark.

Faculty Ambassador for Office of Intellectual Property and Commercialization

University of Alaska Fairbanks

20172020

Advocate for technology transfer of UAF research. Liaise with University Deans and Directors on new innovative research with commercial potential. Lead contact with UAF's Alumni and Development Office. Organize the annual invention disclosure and entrepreneurial activities awards for top inventions from UAF's Faculty, Staff, and Students. Administrative role for OIPC's monthly newsletter and also on Fairbanks team for Alaska Startup Week.

Associate Director of Research

Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration, University of Alaska Fairbanks

2016present

Our mission is to maintain a world class research center for unmanned aircraft systems, providing integration of unique payloads and supporting pathfinder missions within government and science communities, with a special emphasis on the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. Lead the research and development in the Center. Work with Director Cahill and Director of Operations Adkins on sensor developments for funded missions. Build partnerships with external organizations to transition their operations to use the FAA Alaska Test Site and work with University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Research Associate Professor of Remote Sensing

Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks

20142021

Affiliation to remote sensing and volcanology groups. Research on dispersion modeling of aerosols, remote sensing monitoring and analysis of natural hazards, use of unmanned aircraft systems data for Arctic research, and real-time decision support tools for natural hazards. Mentored 3 graduate students as lead advisor, and the committees of 12 more, taught graduate classes, trained high-school students, and public outreach.

Deputy Director

Center for the Study of Security, Cyber, Hazards, Response and Preparedness (C-SSCHRP), University of Alaska Fairbanks

20132020

Sat within the SOM HSEM Program and in partnership with College of Natural Science and Mathematics, Geophysical Institute and the International Arctic Research Center. Created new knowledge to reduce uncertainty in decision making; provided world leading education and research opportunities; and trained emergency managers, responders and policy makers.

Vice-President

V-ADAPT, Inc.

20132021

Start-up company from research developed on the analysis of volcanoes and operational monitoring at the Geophysical Institute, UAF. The company has three funding streams: research and development into volcanic processes and event detection, consultancy capabilities in hazard assessment, and web-based tools for end users to build their own mitigation plans. Received U.S. Air Force Small Business Innovation Research Phase II and Phase II grants.

Research Assistant Professor

Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks

20092014

Lead researcher on projects funded by NASA, National Science Foundation, and the United States Geological Survey. Developed and taught Federal Emergency Management Agency supported workshops as certified instructor. From 2009 – 2013, held duty roles at the Alaska Volcano Observatory, was part of eruption responses, providing advice to the duty scientist and analyzing satellite data and dispersion modeling results in real-time.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Arctic Region Supercomputing Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks

20052009

Evaluated and improved volcanic ash tracking and dispersion model using high-performance computational techniques. Part of the AVO Remote Sensing group involved in operational use of remote sensing data and one of five scientists who took the on-call AVO duty remote sensing scientist responsibilities.

Postdoctoral Associate

Department of Geography, Kings College London

20032005

Led a volcanic activity monitoring and hazard assessment project funded by UK Department for International Development. Activities included the instruction of Central American scientists in remote sensing and the creation and development of an automated satellite data capture and volcanic observation analysis system. Responsible for the project planning and liaisons with geoscientists in Central America.

Education

PhD: Remote Sensing

University of Reading, UK

19992003

Atmospheric water vapour correction to InSAR surface motion measurements on mountains. Special attention to Mount Etna volcano’s activity from 1995 – 2000.

PhD Advisor: Prof. Geoff Wadge, NERC Environmental Systems Science Centre

MSc: Atmospheric Sciences

University of East Anglia, UK

19971998

A Principal Component Analysis of the Lamb Catalogue on a
Daily Time Scale: Natural Seasons, Singularities and Weather Folklore.
(1871-1990).

MSc Advisor: Prof. Mick Kelly, Climatic Research Unit

BSc: Geophysical Sciences

University of East Anglia, UK

19941997

Examination of Micrometeorology of a woodland during two
periods of different weather conditions.

BSc Advisor: Prof. Steve Dorling, School of Environmental Sciences

Skills

Management

Principal Investigator on over 30 projects from multiple funding agencies and collaborated with scientists at many federal agencies and universities within the U.S. and abroad. Co-founder of own business and acted as Vice-President, Secretary, and head of R&D. Managed all projects as well as planning and running the board of directors monthly meetings. Excellent time management skills to both carry out research, operational duties, and administrative roles on these projects as well as develop innovative ideas that can lead to new projects in the future. Supervisor role for 10+ staff and undergraduate and graduate level students, including day-to-day tasks and evaluating long-term project goals.

Research

Research includes the analysis of dispersion models for forecasting volcanic ash clouds, use of UAS for geoscience data analysis and infrastructure mapping, development of real-time decision support tools, and in the real-time mapping of volcanic eruptive products from North Pacific volcanoes. In addition, have been funded by NOAA, NASA and USGS to develop remote sensing algorithms for volcanic ash cloud detection and improved thermal mapping across the volcanoes of the North Pacific. Current focus on UAS applications, payloads, and integration into the U.S. National Airspace System. Lead for NASA funded research on urban air mobility and the capability to build protocols for mapping natural hazards with UAS.

Leadership

Was Faculty Ambassador for University of Alaska Fairbanks Office of Intellectual Property and Commercialization. Advise innovators on the intellectual property disclosure and support entrepreneurial programs across the University. Lead for the UAF Strategic Planning focusing on transforming its intellectual property development and commercialization enterprise. Advisor for World Organization of Volcano Observatories at the International Volcanic Ash Task Force. Co-founder and Vice-President of V-ADAPT, Inc. and the Deputy Director of the CASR leading the collaboration of natural hazard researchers and emergency manager training programs. Associate Director of Research for the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration leading its research and working with its Director on its strategic direction.

Entrepreneurship

Formed the University of Alaska Fairbanks first start-up company, V-ADAPT, Inc. Worked with UAF's Office of Intellectual Property and Commercialization to develop conflicts of interest documentation, declare all developed intellectual property and worked with Nanook Tech Ventures and Nanook Innovation Corporation to license intellectual property and commercialize research. Received U.S. Air Force Small Business Innovation Research grants, taken part in Launch Alaska's 2016 Pre-accelerator, and inducted into the State of Alaska's Innovators Hall of Fame in 2016-2017. Faculty Ambassador to UAF's technology transfer office to support innovators in declaring their intellectual property and building an innovation culture. Participant in Techstars Startup Weekend: Team came 2nd in U.S. and won crowd favorite.

Administrative Responsibilities

Steering Group Committee Member for Alaska Climate Tech Hub	2024 - present
UAF Academic Plan 2024-2029: Goal #2 committee: Explore pathways to sustainable growth through innovation and development	2023 - 2024
Affiliate Faculty, UAF College of Business and Security Management (CBSM)	2023 - present
UAF R1 Strategic Plan Working Group: #2 - Incentivize Multidisciplinary Networks	2022 - 2024
Co-chair of Alaska Innovation Alliance (AIA)	2022 - present
Organizing Committee member for Global Autonomous Systems Conference (GASC)	2022 - present
American Geophysical Union Outstanding Student Presentation Award Coordinator for NH Section	2020 – 2021
Board of Director at Coupi, Inc (representing NTV)	2020 – 2023
Member and Speaker in Global Entrepreneurship Network	2020 – 2022
State of Alaska Point of Contact for Global Entrepreneurship Week	2020 – 2022
U.S. Ecosystem Partner co-lead for Arctic Future Challenge	2020
Review Main Division Team, Jr. Judge Chair at Arctic Innovation Competition (AIC)	2020 - present
President and Board of Director at Nanook Technology Ventures	2020 – 2023
Board Member at Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS)	2019 – present
Secretary of Director at Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS)	2022 – 2025
Alaska Startups contributor: The future of innovation in Alaska	2018 – present
NSERC CREATE UTILI Program Committee Member	2018 – present
Steering committee for American Geophysical Union Art and Science Community	2018 – 2021
Co-lead for Fairbanks team at Alaska Startup Week	2018 – 2023
Planning team for Alaska UAS Interest Group Meeting (AUASIG)	2018 – 2022
ARCUS Annual Meeting Task Force	2018 – 2019
Group 4 Lead: Transform UAF’s IP development and commercialization enterprise for UAF Strategic Plan, 2019 – 2027	2018 – 2022
Chair of Geophysical Institute Mather Library Committee	2016 – 2022
Associate Director of Research, ACUASI, UAF	2016 – present
Chair of Geophysical Institute Library Advisory Committee	2015 – 2022
Alaska Summer Research Academy Advisory Board	2014 – 2015
Deputy Director, C-SSCHRP	2013 – 2020
UAF Faculty Senator for the Geophysical Institute	2012 – 2014
Chair of UAF Faculty Senate Research Advisory Committee	2011 – 2012
Ad-hoc Graduate Faculty, Michigan Technology University	2011 – present
External examiner at Michigan Technological University MSc Candidate	2009
Member of UAF Faculty Senate Research Advisory Committee	2009 – 2014
Eruption source parameters sensitivity analysis workgroup, co-group leader	2007 – 2011
Associated Faculty, College of Natural Science and Mathematics, UAF	2007 – present
Examiner for University of Bristol MSc Candidate in Natural Hazards.	2007

Academic Teaching

2025

Spring: BA 474/HSEM 474: Innovation for Alaska and the Arctic

2024

Spring: BA 474/HSEM 474: Innovation for Alaska and the Arctic

Fall: BA 474/HSEM 474: Innovation for Alaska and the Arctic

2023

Spring: F298: Honors Research

2021 - 2023

Spring/Summer/Fall: I-Corps Site Program Instructor

2019

Spring/Summer/Fall: Arctic Domain Security Orientation Course

2013, 2011, 2009

Spring: F692: Volcano Remote Sensing.

Students Supervised

Lead Supervisor and Committee Chair

Current

Scott McClure - MS/PhD in Interdisciplinary Sciences – UAF

Completed

Martin Harrild – MSc in Geology, 2017 – UAF

Torge Steensen – PhD in Geophysics, 2013 – UAF

Committee Member

Current

Gretchen Fauske – MS in Arctic and Northern Studies – UAF

James Reames – PhD in Interdisciplinary Sciences – UAF

Completed

Alec Bennett – PhD in Interdisciplinary Sciences, 2024 – UAF

Logan Fusso – MSc in Geophysics, 2022 – UAF

Marcus Hirtl – PhD in Interdisciplinary Sciences, 2020 – UAF

Sean Egan – PhD in Atmospheric Chemistry, 2019 – UAF

David McAlpin – PhD in Geology, 2019 – UAF

Olaniyi Ajadi – PhD in Geophysics, 2017 – UAF

Riccardo Tortini – PhD in Remote Sensing, 2015 – Michigan Technological University

Wenyu Gong – PhD in Geophysics, 2014 – UAF

Kristen Rahilly – MSc in Geophysics, 2014 – UAF

Annie Worden – MSc in Geology, 2014 – UAF

Trang Tran – PhD in Atmospheric Chemistry, 2013 – UAF

Angela Ekstrand – MSc in Geophysics, 2012 – UAF

Rachel Puchrik – MSc in Geology, 2010 – UAF

Helen Thomas – PhD in Remote Sensing, 2010 – University of Bristol, UK

Professor Peter Webley Bibliography (2015 - present)

3522 citations, h-index: 28. 100+ papers with 30+ as first author and 25+ with a student lead author.

2024

Sun, Z., ten Brink, T., Carande, W., Koren, G., Cristea, N., Jorgenson, C., Janga, B., Asamani, G. P., Achen, S., Mahoney, M., Haung, Q., Mechrabian, A., Munasinghe, T., Liue Z., Marlgolis, A., Webley, P. W.,.... & Duzgun, S. (2024). Towards practical artificial intelligence in Earth sciences. Computational Geosciences, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10596-024-10317-7

2023

Giron, R. G., Brodsky, E. E., Spica, Z, J., and Webley, P. W. (2023). Long-period and volcano-tectonic earthquakes record cycles of opening and closing in the enhanced seismic catalog of the 2008 Okmok Volcano, Alaska, eruption. DOI: 10.22541/essoar.168167180.08760979/v1

2022

Davila, D., VanPelt, J., Lynch, A., Romlein, A., Webley, P., and Brown, M. S. (2022). ADAPT: An Open-Source sUAS Payload for Real-Time Disaster Prediction and Response with AI. arXiv preprint arXiv:2201.10366.

2020

Hatfield, M., Cahill, C., Webley, P., Garron, J., and Beltran, R. (2020). Integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems into the National Airspace System-Efforts by the University of Alaska to Support the FAA/NASA UAS Traffic Management Program. Remote Sensing, 12 (19), 3112.

2019

Egan, S. D., Stuefer, M., Webley, P. W., Lopez, T., Cahill, C. F., and Hirtl, M. (2019). Modeling volcanic ash aggregation processes and related impacts on the April/May 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano with WRF-Chem, Natural Hazards and Earth Sciences Discussions, 1 – 34. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2019-382

Webley, P. W. (2019). Startup Week 2019: Opportunities for UA students to engage in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Alaska Journal of Commerce. Nov. 11, 2019.

Hirtl, M., Stuefer, M., Arnold, D., Grell, G., Maurer, C., Natali, S, Scherllin-Pirscher, B., and Webley, P. (2019). The effects of simulating volcanic aerosol radiative feedbacks with WRF-Chem during the Eyjafjallajökull eruption, April and May 2010. Atmos. Env., 198, 194 – 206.

2017

McAlpin, D. B., Meyer, F. J., Gong, W., Beget, J., Webley, P. W. (2017). Pyroclastic Flow Deposits and InSAR: Analysis of Long-Term Subsidence at Augustine Volcano, Alaska. Remote Sensing, 9 (1).

Riley, K., Thompson, M., Webley, P., and Hyde, K. D. (2017). Uncertainty in Natural Hazards, Modeling and Decision Support: An Introduction to This Volume, AGU Geophysics Monograph: Hazard Uncertainty Assessment: Modeling and Decision Support, 223, 1 – 8.

Webley, P. W., Patra, A., Bursik, M., Pitman, E. B., Dehn, J., Singh, T., Singla, T., Jones, M. D., Madankan, R., Stefanescu, E. R., and Pouget, S. (2017). Building an uncertainty modeling framework for real-time VATD. AGU Geophysics Monograph: Hazard Uncertainty Assessment: Modeling and Decision Support, 223, 59 – 87.

Webley, P. W. (2017). Role of uncertainty in decision support for volcanic ash. AGU Geophysics Monograph: Hazard Uncertainty Assessment: Modeling and Decision Support, 223, DOI: 10.1002/9781119028116.ch5.

Webley, P. W., and Watson, I. M. (2017). The role of geospatial technologies in communicating a more effective hazard assessment: Application of GIS tools and remote sensing data. In: Advances in Volcanology. Spring. Berlin, Heidelberg.

2016

Cunningham, K. W., and Webley, P. (2016). Validating and calibrating a forecast model. Patent: #9436784B2

Harris, A. J. L., Carn, S., Dehn, J., Del Negro, C., Guđmundsson, M. T., Cordonnier, B., Barnie, T., Chahi, E., Calvari, S., Catry, T., de Groeve, T., Coppola, D., Davies, A., Favalli, M., Ferrucci, F., Fujita, E., Ganci, G., Garel, F., Huet, P., Kauahikaua, J., Kelfoun, K., Lombardo, N., Macedonio, G., Pacheco, J., Patrick, M., Pergola, N., Ramsey, M., Rongo, R., Sahy, F., Smith, K., Tarquini, S., Thordarson, T., Villeneuve, N., Webley, P., Wright, R., and Zakšek, K. (2016). Conclusion: recommendations and findings of the RED SEED working group. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 426, 567 – 648, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP426.11

Ajadi, O. A., Meyer, F. J., Webley, P. W. (2016). Change Detection in Synthetic Aperture Radar Images Using a Multiscale-Driven Approach. Remote Sensing, 8 (6), 482; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs8060482

Dacre, H. F., Harvey, N. J., Webley, P. W., and Morton, D. (2016). How accurate are volcanic ash simulations of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption? JGR: Atmospheres, 121 (7), 3534 – 3547.

Reath, K. A., Ramsey, M. S., Dehn, J., and Webley, P. W. (2016). Predicting eruptions from precursory activity using remote sensing data hybridization. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 321, 18 – 30.

2015

Meyer, F. J., McAlpin, D. B., Gong, W., Ajadi, O., Arko, S., Webley, P. W., and Dehn, J. (2015). Integrating SAR and derived products into operational volcano monitoring and decision support systems. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 100, 106 – 117.

Peterson, R., Webley, P.W., D’Amours R., Servranckx, R., Stunder, B. and Papp, K. (2015). Volcanic Ash Cloud Dispersion Models. Chapter 7 in Volcanoes of the North Pacific: Observations from Space. 187 – 233. Published by Springer.

Stefanescu, E. R., Patra, A. K., Bursik, M., Pitman, E. B., Webley, P., and Jones, M. D. (2015). Forecasting Volcanic Plume Hazards With Fast UQ. Procedia Computer Science, 51, 1613 – 1622.

Webley, P. W. (2015). Summary: Volcanoes and the aviation industry. Global Volcanic Hazards and Risk, 57.

Webley, P. W. (2015). Volcanoes and the aviation industry. Global Volcanic Hazards and Risk, 295.

Steensen, T., Webley, P., and Dehn, J. (2015). Improvements on Near Real Time Detection of Volcanic Ash Emissions for Emergency Monitoring with Limited Satellite Bands. Annals of Geophysics, 57.

Egan, S. D., Stuefer, M., Webley, P., and Cahill, C. F. (2015). WRF-Chem modeling of sulfur dioxide emissions from the 2008 Kasatochi Volcano. Annals of Geophysics, 57.