Spring Graduation

Earlier this month, UAA held spring commencement ceremonies at the Anchorage and community campuses. We celebrated the accomplishments and hard work of more than 1,500 UAA students who graduated this academic year. Their journey has brought them to this point, the culmination of thousands of hours of dedication and commitment to their education. These graduates join more than 71,000 UAA alumni worldwide.

Growing UAA Enrollment

UAA is actively growing recruitment and retention of students. Enrollment at UAA this spring was up 9% over last year with credit hours up 10%. UAA serves more than 12,700 students, and first-year enrollment has grown five semesters in a row. Additionally, the retention rate for full-time bachelor’s students is the highest in over a decade. UAA works to attract students from across Alaska and beyond. These gains in retention and enrollment have come from tremendous work across UAA, from our faculty, staff and leadership. We continue to grow enrollment by making high-quality, affordable education accessible to all.

Serving those Who Serve our Country

We are proud to serve those who serve our country. UAA has been named a Military Friendly School for the 16th consecutive year and has achieved the award’s gold status for the second year in a row. The award evaluates colleges and universities on their investments in serving military and veteran students, including student retention, graduation and job placement rates. This honor recognizes UAA’s commitment to active duty military, veterans and their families. Through a at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, UAA makes education accessible to our nation’s finest. 

Ted Stevens Collection Comes Home to UAA

In March, the papers of Sen. Ted Stevens came home to the UAA/APU Consortium Library. They are now part of the Alaska Leaders Archive. This is a great milestone for our state and our university. The papers are one of the largest congressional collections ever assembled. These are much more than just boxed records — the Ted Stevens Collection is a window into policy decisions and leadership that helped build Alaska. We see them as a catalyst to inspire and teach future generations of students and Alaska leaders. The Alaska Leaders Archive is key to UAA advancing Arctic public policy, leadership and service in Alaska — a place where Alaska’s future leaders learn from the legacy of Alaska’s past leaders. 

The Alaska Leaders Archive is on budget and on track in accordance with the Formal Project Approval granted by the Board of Regents. UAA is continuing concept and design work and anticipates seeking schematic design approval from the Board this fall. Thanks to federal funding, the project now has access to $19 million of the currently estimated $40 million required. 

New National Security Research at UAA

The Department of Homeland Security selected UAA for a new Center of Excellence for security in the Arctic. UAA recently held the official ribbon cutting for ADAC-ARCTIC and welcomed national security leaders and diplomats to campus. ADAC-ARCTIC will bring millions in funding through a ten-year cooperative agreement for cutting-edge research. The award will provide national security solutions as well as new opportunities for faculty and students.

Truman Scholarship for Seawolf Leader

UAA is proud to announce that student regent Albiona Selimi has been awarded a 2024 Truman Scholarship. Albiona is a first-generation college student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science with minors in women’s studies and justice at UAA. The Truman Scholarship is the premier graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the United States. This is a tremendous, well-deserved accomplishment for Albiona – and brings great honor to our university and Alaska.

Seawolf Athletics

Seawolf Athletics is wrapping up a very successful year! The men’s basketball team was a part of March Madness, earning a trip to the NCAA DII tournament for the first time in 12 years. Women’s basketball hosted the Great Alaska Shootout, including a homecoming for Anchorage-raised Alissa Pili who has since been drafted to play in the WNBA.

Men’s hockey had their winningest season in a decade. The team scored huge upset victories over major opponents such as Penn State, Wisconsin, Air Force and Arizona State. As a university, we are advancing conceptual planning on a public-private partnership for new ice arena facilities. UAA is requesting approval to conduct market soundings to gauge private developer interest and help determine the economic feasibility of the project.

Seawolf runners had a great year, hosting the GNAC Cross Country Championships for the first time in a generation. Two weeks ago, UAA runners won two individual conference championships — Joshua Caleb (100 meters) and Cole Nash (5000 meters). Joshua Caleb set a UAA and GNAC championship record! Both are competing in the National NCAA DII Track Championships this week. 

70th Anniversary of UAA

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the University of Alaska Anchorage. What began humbly in 1954 has grown to become Alaska’s largest university. UAA is an educational leader in the circumpolar North and Alaska’s flagship university for workforce and health sciences. Our history holds amazing stories about the journey, community and impact of the more than 71,000 UAA alumni worldwide. UAA is a place where students can flourish, and we take pride in our university as a place of opportunity where all are welcome. It’s my honor to serve as Chancellor as we look forward to a bright future in UAA’s next 70 years.

May Archive