Margaret M. Darrow

Margaret M. Darrow is a Professor and current Department Chair of the Department of Civil, Geological, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks' College of Engineering and Mines. She has held progressively senior academic positions since 2008, advancing from Assistant Professor to full Professor while also serving as Department Chair for Mining and Geological Engineering (2015-2019) before her current leadership role.

Distinguished by her National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2011) and ASCE Best Paper award (2013), Dr. Darrow's research focuses on the complex interactions between frozen ground and infrastructure in Arctic environments. Her work spans frozen soil mechanics, permafrost engineering, landslide analysis in permafrost regions, and thermal analysis of engineered structures. She has secured over $3 million in research funding from agencies including NSF, DOT, DoD, and Alyeska Pipeline Service Company to address critical challenges of infrastructure resilience in a changing climate.

Dr. Darrow's 15+ years of research reveals consistent focus on monitoring and understanding frozen debris lobes, slope stability in permafrost, and unfrozen water behavior in frozen soils. Her publications demonstrate increasing integration of advanced technologies like LiDAR, satellite radar interferometry, and MEMS-based instrumentation to address cryospheric geohazards. Recent work shows expanded focus on rockfall assessment techniques and multi-hazard analysis in Arctic infrastructure corridors.

Scientific Awards:

• National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2011)
• ASCE International Cold Regions Engineering Conference Best Paper Award (2013)
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (2003-2006)
• Tau Beta Pi Fellow (2003-2004)

Dr. Darrow has advised seven MS students in Geological Engineering with research spanning landslide mapping using LiDAR, unfrozen water measurement in frozen soils, frozen debris lobe analysis, and slope stability in permafrost. Her major funded projects include the NSF CAREER award on unfrozen water mobility, multi-year monitoring of frozen debris lobes threatening the Dalton Highway, and collaborative efforts examining infrastructure resilience amid increasing mass-movement risks across the cryosphere. She has served as PI or Co-PI on projects totaling over $3 million in research funding.

Dr. Darrow leads research teams conducting field investigations across Alaska's challenging terrain, from the Brooks Range to the Alaska Highway system. Her work integrates laboratory analysis of frozen soils with extensive field instrumentation programs monitoring permafrost degradation impacts on critical infrastructure. Recent projects involve collaborative efforts with researchers from Penn State, USGS, and other institutions to develop practice-oriented guidelines for transportation agencies managing infrastructure in cryospheric environments.