By Paul Twardock
Search and Rescue is a major focus of the outdoor profession, and of Alaska Pacific University’s Outdoor Studies Program. Outdoor Studies Associate Professor, Eeva Latosuo, is an active member of the Alaska search and rescue community, in particular the Alaska Search and Rescue Dogs. Eeva and her dog, Sisu, have been involved in numerous searches in Alaska, bringing to fruition many hours of training and hard work. They were featured recently in an article written by Lisa Mahoney for the Alaska Dispatch News.
Students utilize Professor Latosuo’s expertise and connections to learn and study the art and science of search and rescue. Molly Schouweiler, a student in APU’s Outdoor Studies Program, has developed her senior project around studying variables like surface contaminants that affect search dogs’ working performance. Molly recently presented her senior project research at the International Snow Science Workshop in Banff, Canada.
