Chancellor Sean Parnell joins UAA community
by Sean Parnell, UAA Chancellor |
Dear UAA Community,
I am honored to begin serving as UAA’s chancellor today. Throughout my career, I have been an advocate for higher education and workforce development because I value the resulting personal transformation and positive lifelong impact. The UAA community is inspiring, and I am so proud to be joining you.
I am optimistic about the role UAA has played and will continue to play in shaping Alaska. The university is an economic driver and opportunity creator for the state. The past year has illuminated many other ways UAA contributes to Alaska’s success. UAA’s faculty, staff and students have played a substantial role in supporting Southcentral Alaska communities and the state throughout the pandemic. You have graduated nursing students early to help bolster our health care workforce, led the state’s contact tracing training efforts and shared the university’s personal protective equipment to help prevent a critical shortage in local hospitals.
As I transition into the role of chancellor, I am focused on how I might best clear paths of opportunity for you. To this end, I will meet with students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, community members and industry partners to gain a deep and meaningful understanding of the obstacles and opportunities facing UAA in the short and long term.
This week, on June 16, I will attend the annual UAA Alumni Assembly. I look forward to attending other UAA events throughout the summer, and I am very excited to meet you all in person when we return to campus this fall. Thank you for your patience and understanding as I listen and learn in order to effectively lead this resilient university into its next chapter.
I am committed to advocating for this institution and working with you to build on its incredible history. Your story, and the story of many before you, is the UAA story. Your dreams and motivation to attain higher education are truly inspiring. I believe that education is a transformative gift not only for yourself, but for others as well. I am honored to join you and look forward to the journey!
Sincerely,
Sean Parnell
UAA Chancellor
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