Recent alum Betz Mayer (Arctic Studies minor, 2017-2019) is now a program coordinator at the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER), a public-private nonprofit that advocates for and advises about the economic well-being of Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon and Northwest Territories. In her position, Betz is focusing on Transportation and Infrastructure Finance and Workforce Development.
Recently, Betz was featured in a new University of Washington video, “Study the Social Sciences.” Betz shared how her experiences as a student in the College of Arts and Sciences led her to focus on international cybersecurity and Arctic issues, obtaining a minor in Arctic Studies. Through the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, Betz had the opportunity to travel to Russia and the Greenlandic Arctic, developing her understanding of different cultures and learning how to apply those experiences to her work here in the United States.
The Arctic Studies minor is an interdisciplinary offering from the Canadian Studies Center and the School of Oceanography, in collaboration with the University of the Arctic. Students in this minor gain skills relevant to addressing major science and policy issues in the Arctic, and are trained to work with international organizations, national governments, and sub-national organizations towards that end.
For more information about the Arctic Studies minor, please contact canada@uw.edu.