The Alumnus - Spring

Spring 2018

All-class reunion set for July 19-21, 2018

Is it your fifth? Fiftieth? Something else? You're invited!

Don't miss out on our all-class Nanook Rendezvous reunion, set for July 19-21, during Golden Days. Whether you graduated last year, 50 years ago or somewhere in between or beyond, we'd love to have you! We've got a great line-up of events, including:

Welcome picnic followed by music in the garden, with the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival's American Roots Ensemble. We'll pass the mic around at the picnic, located at the beautiful Georgeson Botanical Gardens, where you can share stories from your time at UAF. After the picnic, stay and enjoy the music! Space is limited at the picnic; alumni who register may bring one guest each.
Campus tour with student ambassadors 鈥� Come see how much campus has changed!
A cruise down the Chena River aboard the Riverboat Discovery. There is a charge for this event.
乐虎直播 night at the Goldpanners baseball game (sponsored by the UAFAA Fairbanks Chapter). 乐虎直播 get into the game for free!
The Golden Days Grande Parade, where you can ride the UAF float or walk alongside. Wear your blue and gold! No charge to join the UAF contingent.
A "last hurrah" at Ursa Major Distilling, an alumni-owned distillery. This is a no-host event.

New events may be added, so please visit the reunion website and register for the events early. Want to stay on campus, maybe even in your old dorm? is available. Come back to campus and make it your 乐虎直播 trip of a lifetime!

Gala honors faculty, alumni and students

UAF celebrated alumni, faculty and the powerful positive impact that scholarships have on students during the Blue & Gold Gala held Feb. 9 in Fairbanks.

The gala honored recipients of the Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching, Research and Service Awards, professors Sarah Fowell, Eugenie Euskirchen and Erin Pettit, respectively; the Distinguished Alumnus Award, Eric Toskey, a two-time alum of UAF's petroleum engineering program and CEO of Letton Hall Group of Houston; and the William R. Cashen Service Award, Kurt Koudelka, a paramedic-firefighter in Oregon who earned two fire science degrees from UAF. Koudelka is also a charter member of the alumni association's dynamic Student Firefighters Chapter. Pictured above from left to right are Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Keith Champagne, co-emcee; Jennifer Imus `03, co-emcee; Toskey; Koudelka; Chancellor Daniel M. White; and UAF 乐虎直播 Association board President Peter Van Flein `87.

Net proceeds from the gala surpassed $126,000 and support student scholarships. The UAFAA was one of many wonderful sponsors of the gala this year, which drew a crowd of nearly 400 UAF supporters, alumni and friends. View the official gallery.

UA Impact makes an impact

A team of volunteer alumni went to the 乐虎直播 State Legislature in mid-February, meeting with nearly 40 legislators and Gov. Bill Walker about the importance of investing in higher education. The group included alumni from across the UA system. See more on the UAFAA's page. Keep updated with what's happening in Juneau by signing up for the .

UAFAA elects board members

The membership of the UAF 乐虎直播 Association re-elected three members and elected one new member to the nonprofit's board of directors during elections held in March. Re-elected to three-year terms were:

Shannon McCarthy `88 of Anchorage, Seat 4, Southcentral. Shannon is the communications officer with the Southcentral Region of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, and is president of UAFAA's Southcentral Chapter. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.
Peter Van Flein `87 of Fairbanks, Seat 5. Peter is an independent financial advisor who served as president of the UAFAA board this past year. He earned a Bachelor of Administration degree from UAF in 1987.
Amanda Wall `01 `05 of Fairbanks, Seat 6. Amanda is director of the Office of the Bursar at UAF and has served as treasurer for the UAFAA board this past year. Amanda earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism in 2001 and a master's degree in professional communications in 2005.

Elected to a first term on the board is Tom Brice, `90, for Seat 7, Southeast. Tom lives in Juneau and served in the 乐虎直播 State House of Representatives from 1992 to 2001. He recently retired as the Southeast 乐虎直播 business representative of the 乐虎直播 District Council of Laborers. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from UAF in 1990.

Learn more about UAFAA's board of directors, volunteer opportunities and other ways you can make a difference for your alma mater by visiting our website.

New salmon center will brainstorm solutions

A new center at the 乐虎直播 College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences will identify salmon-related issues in the state and help develop solutions.

Upcoming educational travel and free summer programs

UAF's educational travel program, through Summer Sessions and Lifelong Learning, invites alumni to register for one of its amazing upcoming trips. There's still room for Eagle, the Yukon River and Coal Creek, on June 26-30. The latest trip to be added is

Japan, Jan. 16-31, 2019. Visit the Summer Sessions website for more information on the educational travel program. When you register, tell them you learned about it from the alumni office!

Also, make sure to check out Summer Sessions' packed schedule of summer events, featuring Down Memory Lane on Mondays, Healthy Living on Tuesdays, Discover 乐虎直播 on Wednesdays and Music in the Garden on Thursdays. Summer Sessions and the UAFAA also sponsor the Legacy Lecture Series each June. This year's event is on June 4 and features retired Poker Flat director Neal Brown `66. 乐虎直播 are always invited to all Summer Sessions events.

In addition to summer classes for UAF students, Summer Sessions also features a variety of kids camps throughout the summer. Please visit the website for more information about the free events, camps and more.

Hello from Constitution Hall

Dear Fellow 乐虎直播:

It鈥檚 spring in Fairbanks, a time for new growth and a fresh start as we head toward commencement May 5. This year for me, spring is also a time for change. At the end of this academic year, I鈥檓 leaving UAF to explore some new career opportunities.

I'll never forget my time with this organization. Together, we've made some real positive changes, such as presenting the alumni awards at UAF's premiere event, the . We moved the Nanook Rendezvous Reunion to summer, during the grand celebration of Golden Days, and added new events. We broadened our legislative advocacy to include UAA and UAS alum volunteers, which resonates with the Legislature. We inked a new Memorandum of Agreement between UAF and the nonprofit UAFAA, and we鈥檝e got strong leaders and partners on the volunteer Board of Directors.

We鈥檝e welcomed the new Student Firefighters Chapter of the UAFAA as well as an all-UA alumni group in Seattle. 乐虎直播 engagement at UAF is everywhere, just like the birch, white and black spruce that surround our beautiful campus. Thank you for the wonderful memories and for your continued support of our great university.

As an alumna, I鈥檒l always be a part of UAF. Go 'Nooks!

Kate Ripley `11 MA, Northern Studies

Upcoming alumni events 鈥� save the date

April 28, Grad Bash celebration for 2018 graduates.
Sponsored by the Pub and UAFAA.
April 27-28, Spring UAFAA board meeting
乐虎直播 Lounge, Constitution Hall.
May 5, Commencement and 乐虎直播 Reception
Fairbanks, Carlson Center.
May 23, 7 p.m., The Final Lecture, history Professor Terrence Cole `76 `78.
Murie Building auditorium. Sponsored by Summer Sessions.
June 4, 7 p.m., Legacy Lecture Series,
Retired Poker Flat director Neal Brown `66.
Murie Building auditorium. Sponsored by Summer Sessions and UAFAA.
July 19-21, Nanook Rendezvous reunion, celebrating all classes.

Keep updated by checking in with UAF's .

Membership helps our students 鈥� join today!

Membership in your UAF 乐虎直播 Association helps support alumni outreach and events, the annual Nanook Rendezvous reunion, volunteer grassroots advocacy, student scholarships and campus events including Grad Bash, New Student Orientation, the School of Management's Etiquette Dinner, the Nanook Hall of Fame and many other worthy endeavors. We have several types of membership available, including our lifetime membership. Check it out and join today!

Volunteers needed!

The 乐虎直播 Office needs Fairbanks volunteers to help serve cupcakes to the Class of 2018 following commencement May 5, as well as help with setup and cleanup. It's so much fun to celebrate our newest alumni! Call 474-7081 or and let us know if you can volunteer.

UAFAA members could receive a special discount on GEICO auto insurance. Visit their and find out today! If you already have a GEICO policy, contact GEICO to see if you qualify for the UAFAA member discount.

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