Team

Maj Gen Randy “Church” Kee, United States Air Force (ret) serves as the Senior Advisor, Arctic Security Affairs, to assist with establishing the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, the Department of Defense’s sixth and newest regional center located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, near Anchorage Alaska. Kee is responsible for supporting the establishment and early operations of the new DoD institution, with the mission to engage in regional and global security issues through research, communication, and education. The goal of the center is to build strong, sustainable, international networks of security leaders to advance U.S. national security priorities in the Arctic region. Kee is also working with partner nations to ensure a stable, rules-based order in the Arctic that will benefit the United States and all Arctic nations. In 2020, the President of the U.S. appointed Kee as a Commissioner to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, and from 4 January 2016 to 22 August 2021 he served as the Executive Director of the Arctic Domain Awareness Center, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Center of Excellence in Maritime Research, hosted by the University of Alaska. During his tenure in leading ADAC, a DHS Science and Technology Office of University Programs, U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Arctic Research Community recognized the Center for contributions to “operator relevant” Arctic science and technology innovations, education and convergence events specifically oriented to address the challenges and to “enable the decision maker” in Arctic maritime crisis response. In volunteer “pro-bono” capacities, Kee serves a Global Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson Polar Institute; Network member of the Canadian Hosted North American and Arctic Defense and Security Network; he is the designated U.S. lead for a technology working group hosted by the Chief of Naval Research in support of the International Cooperative Engagement Program for Polar Research; and serves as the Co-chair of the Alaska Civilian Armed Services Team, a State of Alaska Advisory Board to the Governor. During his 30-year military career, Kee led at the squadron, group, wing, and Air Operations Center levels. General Kee’s staff assignments include U.S. Transportation Command, HQ USAF, and the U.S. Joint Staff in both Operations plus Strategic Plans and Policy Directorates. He is a command pilot and prior qualified navigator, and logged 4,700 flying hours, 700 of which were in combat (Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan). While in uniform he contributed to U.S. Arctic Strategy, supported domain awareness technology development, and Defense Support to Arctic crisis response. He culminated his military service as Director of Strategy, Policy, Planning and Capabilities for U.S. European Command (ECJ5/8) in Stuttgart, Germany. He holds three master’s degrees: Organizational Leadership, Air Mobility/Logistics Management and Strategic Studies.

USAF Biography

Jason “Olaf” Roe, USCG (Ret), is the Associate Director and Senior Research Professional for the Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC) at the University of Alaska, a DHS Center of Excellence. As Senior Research Professional, Mr. Roe’s mission is to provide USCG operator focused coordination, guidance, and support to ADAC research and guide project development to maximize CG operational relevance. Mr. Roe’s skill and experience with GIS systems, environmental models, and mission planning tools provides ADAC with valuable insight into CG operations. During his 12 years of service in Alaska, working with a wide range of Arctic stakeholders, Mr. Roe developed a respect and admiration for Arctic and rural Alaska, and is committed to increasing the safety and security of the Arctic Region through Community engagement and Operationally relevant research in support of the public good.

Elizabeth “Ellee” Parry is a Research Analyst specializing in Arctic Awareness at the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies. Ellee’s research areas include One Health, health security, and the impacts of climate change on the interactions between humans, animals, and their shared environment in the Arctic. Ellee is also a current PhD student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where her research is focused on food security and One Health in Alaska. Prior to joining TSC, Ellee worked at the Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC) as the Education & Administrative Manager. Ellee has an MSc. in Environment & Development from the University of Edinburgh, and a B.S. in Zoology from Colorado State University. A born and raised Alaskan, Ellee currently resides in Anchorage, Alaska, with her husband and two dogs.

Kelsey Frazier is a lifelong Alaskan with a passion for snow and ice. In her daily work, she pursues this passion as a Research Analyst focused on Operations for the Ted Stevens Center of Arctic Security Studies, a U.S. Department of Defense Research Center. Her role includes organizing Arctic-focused operational research programs, executing new research projects, and reporting on those findings in support of OSD(Policy), CCDR, and military service mission needs. Kelsey’s formal training is in mechanical engineering, and her research focuses on thermal-fluid behavior impacted by extreme Arctic conditions, boundary layer structure, interactions and phenomena at the ocean and sea ice interface, and climate science in the Arctic region. When not engaged with research at work, Kelsey is finishing a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she investigates sea ice structure and models the complex subsurface of the ice. Her singular pursuit of all things snow and ice earned her the call sign “Doc Freeze,” a badge of honor she aspires to live up to in her career.

Dr. Nettie La Belle-Hamer is UAF’s Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and the Director of the Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF). A lifelong Alaskan, Dr. La Belle-Hamer received her Bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1985, her Master’s and Ph.D. in space physics at the UAF in 1988 and 1994, respectively. Following graduation, Dr. La Belle-Hamer first became involved with ASF working on the NASA development of a distributed Earth science data system. After managing the first two Antarctic Mapping Missions and the RADARSAT Geophysical Processor System project at ASF, she became the ASF Science Center Manager in 1999. As the ASF Science Center manager, she was responsible for product quality issues, user community interaction, user software tool development, advanced algorithm development, the RADARSAT Geophysical Processor System project, and science outreach activities. She implemented policies and procedures for the Science Center as well as forecasted research trends and directions for ASF user community. Under her direction since 2002, ASF has grown into a strong program with a bright future in remote-sensing data access. Dr. La Belle-Hamer has successfully developed new business opportunities and continue to keep ASF at the forefront of the satellite data industry by focusing on high-quality, on-time data delivery, exemplary customer service, and visionary new product development efforts. Developing and maintaining ASF’s relationships with the U.S. and foreign government research agencies as well as a wide array of domestic and international partners requires her to use an unusual combination of scientific, management, and leadership skills. As the UAF Interim Vice Chancellor, Dr. La Belle-Hamer works to build capacity and depth in the research and development interests of UAF.

Connor Keesecker serves as the Communications and Research Associate for the Arctic Domain Awareness Center. In this role, Connor supports the development of ADAC reports and knowledge products as well as providing support for the Center's communications operations. Born and raised in Eagle River, Alaska, Connor discovered an interest in the Arctic while studying at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he earned a B.A. in International Studies with Minors in Political Science and History. Before ADAC, he worked on local community development issues in Anchorage, focusing on identifying and implementing best practices in northern placemaking at the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation and later the Anchorage Park Foundation.

LuAnn Piccard, PMP is the Director of Project Management of the Arctic Domain Awareness Center of Excellence. She joined the University of Alaska Anchorage in September 2006 after an executive career in high-technology. As ADAC’s Director of Project Management, at the direction of the ADAC Executive Director, she leads processes to ensure successful planning, execution, tracking, and reporting of key Center projects and initiatives. LuAnn is an Associate Professor and Department Chair for the Engineering, Science and Project Management master’s programs and Program Chair for Project Management in the College of Engineering at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her academic focus includes project management and the development of future leaders in project, engineering and science management. She teaches academic courses in all aspects of project management as well as several modules in UAA’s project management professional training curriculum. She was the Principal Investigator for the State of Alaska Election Security Project. Her research interests include organizational development, collaboration with stakeholders, and risk assessment for polar and pacific rim projects as well as the application of project management methodologies in the non-profit sector. Prior to joining UAA in 2006, LuAnn spent 22 years in high-technology with Hewlett Packard, Agilent Technologies and Advanced Energy Industries. Her most recent assignments included Vice President and General Manager responsible for Agilent Technologies’ Communications Solutions Business Unit and Senior Vice President and General Manager /Co-Chief Operating Officer for Advanced Energy Industries. During her career, she has held positions with increasing responsibility starting with R&D, strategic marketing, alliance management. Additionally, she has held several other executive and general management positions. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Project Management Institute (PMI) Global Accreditation Center (GAC), Habitat for Humanity Anchorage, and Alaska Association of Figure Skaters. She holds a BS and MS in Engineering from Stanford University.

Douglas Causey is Principal Investigator of the Department of Homeland Security Arctic Domain Awareness Center of Excellence and Professor of Biological Sciences at UAA. He also serves as Senior Advisor on Arctic Policy to the Chancellor at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He arrived to UAA in June 2005 from Harvard University where he was Senior Fellow of the Kennedy School of Government and Senior Biologist at the Museum of Comparative Zoology. From 1995 - 2000, Doug represented the National Science Foundation at organizational meetings leading to the formation of the Arctic Council and was NSF’s Arctic Representative during the Gore-Chernomyrdin negotiations on US-Russian Science Policy. An ecologist and evolutionary biologist by training, he has authored over one hundred ninety publications on topics as diverse as the biology of Arctic marine birds, high Arctic coastal systems, and bat-borne diseases. His research focuses on the environmental correlates of Arctic climate change, and he and his students are actively conducting research in the Aleutian Islands, the northern Bering Sea, and Northwestern Greenland. His Greenlandic research efforts are funded by the National Science Foundation and are components of the Piniariarneq and Pikialasorsuaq initiatives. He has published extensively on policy issues related to the Arctic environment, Arctic environmental security, and bioterrorism and public health. He and Maj Gen (ret.) Randy Kee jointly offer the policy course “Arctic Environmental Security” through the University of Alaska and the UArctic, and which is attended by students throughout the Arctic region.