August 2010

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We begin the 2010-2011 year with our largest group of students ever at UAA! Enrollment on our five campuses is putting us on track for more than 21,000 students this fall. Our student success rate is growing -- with more than 70 percent of first-time full-time freshmen returning for their sophomore year and more than 2,100 students receiving degrees and certificates in May -- five percent over the year before. The work you do is making a big difference at UAA, in our communities and in Alaska! Thank you.

Professor Mark Wolbers, Dr. Patricia Kuhl and Ron Spatz helped welcome our class of 2014 at Freshman Convocation. Thanks to all who organized the many activities for students, parents, faculty and staff!

If you missed Dr. Kuhl's lecture on infant brain development, listen to it here.

Not only is enrollment growing, but so is our campus as we continue construction of the new Health Sciences Building which will open in fall 2011.

Our partnerships with Alaska's businesses and industry are also growing.

UAA's College of Education will be holding six courses in new classrooms at Providence Alaska Medical Center, designed jointly by UAA and Providence to provide instructional and office space for College of Education Early Childhood Education faculty and their courses. The Learning Lab has live video feed from child development classrooms.

UAA's Athletic Department has adopted The Children's Hospital at Providence as a non-profit partner. The Seawolves will work to increase awareness about The Children's Hospital at Providence with advertising and promotion at athletic events. We will also provide tickets and access to coaches and student-athletes for special events.

Senator Mark Begich and Aviation Technology Director Rocky Capozzi participate in a press conference about funding for Alaska airport improvement. Rocky, Community and Technical College Dean Karen Schmitt, Aviation Researcher Leonard Kirk and Provost Mike Driscoll spoke with Senator Begich and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt about general aviation research and the Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative.

As we begin this new academic year we can take great pride in all that UAA is accomplishing. September 3 is College Colors Day, the annual celebration of the traditions and spirit that make the college experience a great one. It is a day to wear Green and Gold, and to share your spirit and pride in UAA with friends and colleagues.

"You're Naked without your College Colors!" -- The UAA Campus Bookstore motto for the day.

Did you know:For the second year in a row UAA was designated a Military Friendly School by GI Jobs Magazine, putting us in the top 15 percent of all colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide. We will officially celebrate the honor at the military appreciation hockey game on October 9 during Homecoming.

Sarah Dewane is the first student to graduate from the Ph.D. program in Clinical-Community Psychology with Rural, Indigenous Emphasis - a program jointly delivered and administered by the Departments of Psychology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and UAA.

Croatian Ambassador to the United States, Grabar-Kitarovic, visited Professor Mark Carper's "Slavic World" class last week. Later in the day the ambassador, along with Senator Begich, met with Provost Driscoll, Robert White, Kim Peterson, Jeff Welker, Doug Causey and Leslie Tuovinen, to talk about climate change research and international affairs at UAA.

Gary Ellis is the first winner of the Ping-Tung Chang scholarship. Congratulations!

We welcome Dr. Judith Owens-Manley as the new director for the Center for Community Engagement and Learning.

Kodiak College Director Barbara Bolson spoke to KMXT radio about wind turbine technician training offered at Kodiak College. Listen here.

It was a pleasure to see the many nominations for Chancellor's Awards for Excellence this year. The winners this year were announced at Faculty Staff Convocation. They are:

• Diversity: Kaela Parks, Director, Disability Support Services
• Sustainability: Dorn Van Dommelen, Geography and Environmental Studies
• Faculty/Staff Service to Students: Lorraine Stewart, Voc-Tech at Kodiak College
• Excellence in Teaching: Susan Kalina, Languages and International studies
• Excellence in Research: Jennifer Burns, Biology

As always, thank you for all you do to make UAA a great university!