Originally from Bronx, New York, Dr. Lewis “Lew” Shapiro came to Alaska in 1971 after completing his Ph.D in geology at the University of Minnesota. Previously, he served in the US Army from 1953 to 1957, worked in Arizona in drilling and mining, and in 1962 obtained his bachelor’s degree from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City. Lew was interested in seismology and tectonics, but found himself involved in the rapidly growing field of sea ice research, in particular with the Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program (OCSEAP) program and the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Much of his research has been based in Barrow and northern Alaska and has been related to strength and mechanical properties of sea ice. He taught a variety of geology courses, has published extensively in scientific journals, and is the co-author with Ron Metzner and Kenneth Toovak of Historical References to Ice Conditions Along the Beaufort Sea Coast of Alaska (Scientific Report, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1979). Lew retired from the Geophysical Institute in 1990, but continues to be involved with research and consults for the Institute’s Sea Ice Group.
Dr. Lewis "Lew" Shapiro was interviewed on May 1, 2014 by Karen Brewster at his office at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Lew was interviewed because of his extensive career researching sea ice mechanics in northern Alaska, and because of his role in the project related to potential oil development of the Alaskan continental shelf whose interviews appear in the North Alaskan Sea Ice Project Jukebox and in the Historical References to Ice Conditions Along the Beaufort Sea Coast of Alaska (Scientific Report, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1979). In this interview, Lew talks about the motivation behind the interviewing project, the funding, and the staff working on it. He also talks about his scientific research studying sea ice dynamics, working on oil industry funded projects, and results of his research.
Dr. Lewis "Lew" Shapiro was interviewed on May 1, 2014 by Karen Brewster at his office at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Lew was interviewed because of his extensive career researching sea ice mechanics in northern Alaska, and because of his role in the project related to potential oil development of the Alaskan continental shelf whose interviews appear in the North Alaskan Sea Ice Project Jukebox and in the Historical References to Ice Conditions Along the Beaufort Sea Coast of Alaska (Scientific Report, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1979). In this second part of a two part interview, Lew talks about his scientific research studying sea ice mechanics, use of Landsat imagery, results of his research, and combining understanding oil industry needs with sea ice research.