University Of Alaska Anchorage: Dr. Diane Hirshberg Appointed ISER Interim Director

Press release from the University of Alaska Anchorage:

October 14, 2021

Dr. Diane Hirshberg, professor of education, has been appointed interim director of
the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER). Dr. Hirshberg is an 18-year
veteran of UAA and ISER, and has served in leadership roles such as president of UAA’s
faculty senate and advisor to the chancellor on Arctic Research and Education. She
was the founding director of the Center for Alaska Education Policy Research and is
currently vice-president academic at the University of the Arctic.

ISER’s current director, Dr. Ralph Townsend, is retiring after six years leading the
institute. “We thank Dr. Townsend for his leadership,” said John Nofsinger, dean of
UAA’s College of Business and Public Policy where ISER resides. “He led ISER during
a difficult time in Alaska’s economy. This is a time when research that informs state
fiscal policy is more important than ever. During his tenure, ISER researchers also
contributed to various economic and social studies that contributed to our understanding
of the COVID-19 pandemic, both in Anchorage and at the state level. These research
activities are at the core of ISER’s mission to enhance the well-being of Alaskans
and others.”

Dr. Townsend will continue to serve the College of Business and Public Policy as a
professor of economics, where he will focus on Alaska economic and fiscal policy and
fisheries economics.

ISER is currently conducting a search for a permanent director.

This press release was produced by the University of Alaska Anchorage. The views expressed here are the author’s own.