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Student Highlight: Michelle Li
Michelle Li is a PhD candidate in public policy researching climate change and infrastructure resilience. For her innovative idea, Michelle focused on the relocation of Alaskan villages as a result of climate change, highlighting the high costs and emotional toll of native communities moving their homes to avoid rising seas and erosion. She cited a 2004 report commissioned by the Army Corps of Engineers that has served as the basis for the high costs estimates associated with relocation. The report estimates that relocation of Shishmaref would cost $180 million over five years. However, Michelle challenged the continued validity of using this cost estimate because the report is so outdated that it does not “take into account technological innovation in the past 16 years.”
Michelle argues that “the emergence of cost-saving technologies, in particular 3D-printed housing, may lower the cost of relocation.” A 3D printed home or building costs around $10,000 today; using this technology would result in a cost of relocation equivalent to ~10% of the previously estimated cost. Of course, challenges remain in pursuing a project of this scale and difficulty, especially in cold climates where the technology has been not yet applied extensively. Perhaps Michelle’s idea will encourage more investment in new technologies to build resilient communities.
Michelle credits the course with expanding her perspective on the Arctic. She said that “class readings, discussion with my peers, and guidance from my mentor, Henry Lee, helped me learn about the unique challenges facing Alaskan villages that are trying to relocate and challenged me to think outside the box when crafting an innovation idea for serving these communities.” Students like Michelle benefited from the academic experience of the course, and also found value in the social and networking opportunities. Michelle remarked that “in addition to having wonderful mentors in Halla and other leading experts, this course introduced me to many amazing peers of rich and varied backgrounds who have been instrumental in helping me learn and think in new ways. I'm grateful and humbled for the experience.”
