First National Bank Alaska supports finance education hub at UAA College of Business and Public Policy

UAA announced that First National Bank Alaska will be a lead philanthropic partner to develop a finance lab at the College of Business and Public Policy (CBPP), scheduled to open in fall 2023 and will be known as the First National Bank Alaska Finance Lab.

First National also contributed to install a digital stock ticker in Rasmuson Hall, CBPP’s home on the UAA campus. These gifts total nearly $500,000 and complement the student-managed Seawolf Investment Fund established in 2021 with a $1 million donation from Gary Klopfer, B.B.A. Accounting ’81, and Jane Cuddy Klopfer. Together, the major philanthropic investments provide tangible milestones toward creating a leading finance education hub for the University of Alaska System.

“First National Bank Alaska has been a friend to UAA for decades,” said Chancellor Sean Parnell. “As it celebrates its 100th anniversary, we are proud of our close collaboration in support of students and the strengthening of Alaska’s workforce through these initiatives.”

“We are incredibly grateful to First National Bank Alaska,” said Dr. John Nofsinger, CBPP dean and finance professor. “From the moment students walk into our building, the Seawolf Stock Ticker is a vivid reminder that we are a premier, AACSB-accredited business school. Having access to essential industry data sources and finance software in the First National Bank Alaska Finance Lab will give students meaningful knowledge and experience they will apply immediately in the workplace. The Finance Lab will provide a space for professional presentations on stock analysis and portfolio management decisions, both in practice and in the real-world as advanced students make decisions about the Seawolf Investment Fund.”

In addition to establishing UAA as a finance education hub, First National's gifts support broader strategic goals of the university system’s “For Alaska” fundraising campaign: enhancing workforce development, fostering educational access and diversifying Alaska’s economy. The contributions are the most recent example of First National’s long-standing commitment to supporting the University of Alaska, and build on a decades-long legacy of partnership.

CBPP is committed to preparing students to be leaders in a rapidly changing world. The college serves undergraduate and graduate students, offering 15 degree programs and seven certificates. Its business programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Fewer than 5% of all schools offering degree programs in business at the bachelor level or higher worldwide hold this distinction.