North to Alaska: UAA Chancellor Cathy Sandeen touches down in the 49th state

With Xtratufs on her feet and a copy of James Michener's novel Alaska in hand, new University of Alaska Anchorage chancellor Cathy Sandeen is ready to step into her role of helming the state's largest university.

With four academic degrees and more than 30 years of experience in higher education, Sandeen's impressive background suggests she was born into the world of academia, but the native of Oakland, California, came from working-class roots.

At 17, Sandeen's father dropped out of high school to join the military in World War II. After the war, he married and settled into California life, first working as a plumber and then starting his own business. Neither of Sandeen's parents pursued an education after high school, but they modeled the grit and determination she would need to pursue her academic goals and career as a first-generation graduate.

"I was a pretty good student and I liked school," Sandeen said.

When she graduated from high school, the state of California was pouring money into their public higher education institutions, making it possible for locals to easily afford a university education.

"I really credit my teachers and counselors in guiding me to a college education."

In pursuit of education

After high school, Sandeen was off and running, first attending Humboldt State University and earning a bachelor's degree in speech pathology. Like many college students, she was unsure of her path and hadn't quite found her niche. Her first couple years at college were hard and she often asked herself if she belonged. But, like many stories in education, a handful of professors provided her encouragement, and she pressed on.

"I really got inspired by the discipline of communication. It's such a broad interesting area, and I was encouraged by a couple of professors," Sandeen said. "Faculty have such a strong influence on students in big and small ways."

She continued her journey in higher education, earning a master's degree in broadcast communication from San Francisco State University, a Master of Business Administration in management from the University of California Los Angeles and a doctorate in communication from the University of Utah. Upon receiving her doctorate, Sandeen realized she wasn't ready to leave academia.

"I wanted to be a professor, but I ended up getting excited about administration and management of higher education in universities, and I wound my way into administration fairly early in my career," she said. "And that brought me to a number of different campuses."

Sandeen spent 22 years in administrative roles for campuses in the University of California system, spanning from San Francisco to Los Angeles. But after spending the majority of her life and career in California, Sandeen said she was ready for a change of scenery. With two college-bound daughters and new flexibility in her life, she felt it was the right time to make a change.

From the West to the nation's capital to the Midwest and back

"I decided to look at jobs outside of California and that brought me to Washington, D.C.," Sandeen said. "I spent two years at one of the largest education associations in the country, representing all of higher ed, which gave me a huge national perspective."

For Sandeen, the hustle of the East Coast lifestyle in D.C. was exciting and she learned a great deal about media, working with major foundations and securing national contacts, but she missed working with the people who inspired her the most.

"I loved D.C. and I soaked it up while I was there, but I missed being close to faculty and students," Sandeen said, which, serendipitously, is when the University of Wisconsin reached out to her to see if she would be interested in a chancellor position.

"That all worked out and four years later, here I am. I've gone from Northern California to Southern California to the East Coast and then to the Upper Midwest and now to Alaska, and I'm really happy about it. I feel like it's a good fit."

Heading West ... to Alaska

"At my core, I am a Westerner and I think there's a certain spirit of innovation, creativity and risk-taking that we're kind of born with - and I feel that in Alaska," Sandeen said, continuing that she's thrilled to be back in a land of trees, oceans and mountains.

Sandeen is excited to put her roots down in the far north. She laughs, saying that she actually feels closer to her family now, who are mostly in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. This summer, she visited UAA to get acquainted with campus, faculty, staff, alumni and the university's community partners. She has already scouted her yoga studio to get her savasanas in before starting her days in the Administration and Humanities Building. She's excited to explore her new state, and has already had a few wildlife sightings of bald eagles, moose and beluga whales in Turnagain Arm. But come September, she is ready to get down to business.

"What attracted me to Alaska's university system is that we're smaller," Sandeen said. "Instead of having 13 chancellors around the table we have three, and we can know each other well and each other's programs."

Sandeen said she was encouraged and impressed by the cross-collaboration between all three UA campuses, as well as the smaller community campuses, saying that she's seeing the great cooperation and innovation within the system.

Sandeen knows there are challenges ahead, as the state grapples with budget cuts in every industry, but her experience in higher ed has taught her how to lead and communicate effectively when times are lean. She has no doubts about the ability to see UAA into the future and to continue the great work of chancellors before her.

"Throughout my career, higher education has been challenged," Sandeen said. "I have really experienced a lot of change management, and I realize that people who come to work at universities - faculty and staff - do it because it gives meaning to their lives. It's not just any old job."

Written by Catalina Myers, UAA Office of University Advancement

September Archive