2026 Distinguished Alumnus Award
John Davies ‘70, ‘75
John Davies is the recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Alumnus Award, recognizing his decades of service to the University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Fairbanks, the Fairbanks community and the state of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ. Davies began his affiliation with ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ in 1967 at the Geophysical Institute and earned both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in geology and geophysics, with a focus on seismology.
His career has spanned science, public service and higher education leadership. Davies served as ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ’s state seismologist, was a member of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly and represented Interior ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ for a decade in the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ House of Representatives, where he was a strong advocate for the university. He later served as research director for the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Cold Climate Housing Research Center and as a member of the University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Board of Regents from 2014–2022.
Davies has also been deeply involved with the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Alumni Association and numerous community and energy-focused organizations. His lifetime of leadership and volunteer service has made a lasting impact on ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ and ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.