Archive

For UAA’s student population, COVID-19 hit hard. Transitioning from the classroom to alternative learning was hard enough already without the financial burden of worrying about how to make ends meet. For more than 340 UAA students, the Student Support Fund offered financial relief and peace of mind.

As a first-generation college student, born and raised in Anchorage with Hawaiian roots, Leah Pacarro’s college experience has been dedicated to her jobs as a 40-hour employee and full-time student, but as a 2020 AHAINA Students of Excellence scholarship recipient, her student experience is about to change.

The 49th Finishers scholarship is an exciting opportunity for students to continue their education and earn a degree at UAA. The scholarship is available to Alaska residents who have earned college credits but either studied elsewhere or took a break from school to focus on family, work or other endeavors.

Recent spring 2020 graduate Alexis Harvey is about to leave the North American continent for the first time in her life to travel to Spain as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar, where she will live and work, immersing herself in a whole new language and culture.

UAA alumna Greer Gehler graduated from UAA’s School of Nursing with a bachelor’s degree in nursing science in December 2018. It’s been an exciting two years from landing her dream job in Providence Alaska Medical Center’s emergency room to providing care during COVID-19.

Kick off your summer reading list with the newest issue of Alumni Spirit magazine! Read on to learn about the work UAA researchers have been conducting regarding coronavirus and plasma, meet Seawolf alumni doing amazing work in their respective fields and communities, watch a special video message from the Alumni Association board to the spring Class of 2020, and more!

UAA’s spring commencement activities looked a little different this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. But even a pandemic did not prevent UAA from celebrating the spring Class of 2020 graduates on May 3, via a special website. Take a look at highlights from the virtual celebration, including a video of student memories and community congratulations.

Meet the three graduation speakers for UAA’s spring Class of 2020 as they discuss perseverance, interconnectedness, community and graduating during a global pandemic. Clare Baldwin and Alex Jorgensen are the student commencement speakers; Virginia Groeschel is the graduate hooding speaker.

For the spring 2020 semester, Edna DeVries and Vic Fischer will be awarded the Meritorious Service Award. This award is bestowed to an individual who has demonstrated significant work in the area of public, academic, volunteer or philanthropic service to UAA, one of the community campuses or an Alaska community.

For the spring 2020 semester, Jean Pollard and Molly McCammon will be awarded the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, and John Torgerson with the Honorary Doctor of Laws. The criterion for individuals to receive an honorary degree from UAA is evidence of a significant and lasting contribution to the university, the state of Alaska or to the individuals' discipline or profession.