Honors Theses and Capstones

Date of Award

Spring 2025

Project Type

Senior Honors Thesis

College or School

CEPS

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Program or Major

Environmental Engineering

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

First Advisor

Weiwei Mo

Abstract

This project explored the challenges, needs, and potential solutions related to food security and food sovereignty in rural Alaskan communities. These communities have long relied on traditional subsistence practices like fishing, hunting, and foraging, but those practices have been increasingly affected by climate change, regulatory restrictions, and commercial overfishing. Key issues identified included shorter hunting seasons, changes in animal migration, unsafe ice conditions, habitat loss, complex land ownership, and permitting barriers. Large-scale commercial fisheries also put additional pressure on subsistence resources, reducing access to traditional food sources.

The project focused on identifying key stakeholders—such as government agencies, tribal organizations, and NGOs—and understanding how their policies and decisions impact food systems in these regions. Expert interviews and organizational research were used to develop materials for a stakeholder-based serious game designed to simulate food system decision-making. This tool aimed to support exploration of policy solutions in a low-risk, interactive environment.

While this phase of the project relied mainly on secondary data and expert input, future steps are planned to include direct interviews with a broader set of stakeholders. Overall, the research provided a foundation for developing community-informed strategies to improve food security and sovereignty in rural Alaskan communities,

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