We Can Move the Stars

The UA Museum of the North now has a planetarium, and as planetarian Omega Smith said when she first came to the museum in the fall of 2025, “We can move the stars.”In this episode we discuss the new facility with Omega Smith, Director of the new Walt and Marita Babula Planetarium, about coming on board, building partnerships, and designing programs. We speak with museum director, Pat Druckenmiller and Senior Director of Principle Gifts for the UA Foundation, Emily Drygas about fierce visions and big projects. We speak with the engineering team that have made the construction of the planetarium possible: Cameron Wohlford, Director of UAF’s Division of Design and Construction, Jakob Theurich, DDC Project Manager, and Paulette Hoffmann, DDC Senior Contracts Manager. We dream big, thank our partners, and enjoy the smell of the fresh paint.The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, education, and partnerships, and by creating a singular museum experience that honors diverse knowledge and respect for the land and its peoples.