A P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E F O R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S

A University Engaged With its Community The Search for Dena’ina History

S p r i n g 2 0 0 7

UAA’s Truman Scholar

Umair Iqbal has been named the winner of the highly coveted

Truman Scholarship, one of the nation's most esteemed

undergraduate awards. Iqbal will receive the $30,000 merit-

based grant which is given annually by the Truman Scholarship

Foundation in recognition of students with exceptional

leadership potential.

Dr. Sharman Haley, Associate Professor of Public

Policy, has received a Fulbright grant to Norway

Haley has been researching social science and public policy

issues at the Institute for Social and Economic Research since

1994. She also teaches research methods, policy analysis,

program evaluation and special topics for UAA’s Department

of Public Administration.

Lassen and Kolerok lead Seawolf Debate

Team to the top of the world

The Seawolf Debate Team proved itself one of the best teams

in the world at the 2007 World Universities Debating

Championships (WUDC). UAA’s team of Tom Lassen and

Chris Kolerok placed in the top two percent of teams in the

world, and the UAA squad placed in the top three percent of

all universities with debating teams.

Board of Regents approves new Bachelor of Science

in Construction Management

The new Bachelor of Science four-year degree builds onto

the Community and Technical College’s already successful

two-year Associate of Applied Science degree in Construction

Management. The bachelor’s curriculum was developed

in close collaboration with the construction industry.

Many professional industry partners contributed more than

$100,000 to help launch the program.

UAA Accolades

Spring 2007

Volume 6, Number 1

Published by UAA University Advancement

Editors: Megan Olson, Heidi Bohi, Kristin DeSmith

and Jessica Hamlin

Graphic Design: David Freeman

All photos by Clark James Mishler unless otherwise noted

For more information about stories included

in UAA Accolades, to make a gift to UAA

or to order additional copies, please contact:

University Advancement

University of Alaska Anchorage

3211 Providence Drive . Anchorage, AK 99508

Phone: (907) 786-4847

e-mail: development@uaa.alaska.edu

To learn more about UAA,visit www.uaa.alaska.edu

accolades

P R O G R E S S I V E P R O G R A M S

T H E U A A C O M M U N I T Y

S E A W O L F S P O R T S

On the Cover: Dena'ina culture bearer Aaron Leggett. Photo by Clark James Mishler.

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Degrees of ChangeUAA graduates bring passion and dedication totheir chosen careers

A University Engaged With its Community The Search for Dena'ina History

UAA Dominates Cross Country and Track and Field

The Path of a Gift

Filling the Gap:UAA Partners with Industry to Double Alaska’s Nurses

Dear Friends,

Community engagement is the theme of this issue of Accolades. For the last three years,

Mort and I have been deeply engaged in this community—Anchorage, Southcentral Alaska,

and the state as a whole. With mixed emotion, we move on July 1 to Governors State

University (GSU) in the south suburbs of Chicago. GSU, like UAA, is committed to inclu-

siveness and community engagement. I am particularly excited about the

opportunity at GSU to develop professional doctorates, adding to GSU’s

nationally recognized program in physical therapy.

Even as we prepare for this exciting new challenge, we know that Alaska

will always be a part of us, just as we hope our legacy will always be part

of Alaska. As you read the article in this issue about UAA accounting

students helping people in rural villages fill out their tax forms, picture

Mort accompanying the students to Napakiak. UAA student Patti Fisher

took the photos included in the article. In a follow-up note Patti wrote,

“I’m one of the first-generation students you’re committed to

educating…I've always been one to help with community service, but

would never have expected to find myself doing volunteer tax returns for

strangers in my spare time. It's a credit to some really great faculty and

strong accounting department.”

That’s what we love and will always remember about UAA.

In Anchorage, Eagle River, Kachemak Bay, Kenai, Kodiak, Mat-Su, and

Valdez—UAA is not an ivory tower but a public square—in its openness

and support of students and in its organic connections with the community.

It has never been more apt that a great city needs a great university, and, during my tenure,

UAA has increasingly fulfilled that role for Anchorage. In 2006, the Carnegie Foundation

officially named UAA as one of only 62 community-engaged universities, in both classroom

and community connections. The Ford Foundation honored UAA, in partnership with APU,

by inviting us to join “Difficult Dialogues,” designed to enhance communication across

ethnic, racial, and religious differences.

As I join the UAA community in welcoming Fran Ulmer as Interim UAA Chancellor, I can

say with confidence that UAA is in excellent shape and in very good hands. Our accomplish-

ments have been many, and I know that faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community

members, under Fran’s dynamic leadership, will keep the positive momentum going.

Mort and I will always cherish the friends we have made here. In the interconnected world

of higher education, we know that these friendships will be sustained, as we continue to build

the future together.

Warm regards,

Elaine P. Maimon

Chancellor

A c c o l a d e s 3

F R O M T H E C H A N C E L L O R

4 A c c o l a d e s

A COMMUN I T Y ENGAGED UN I V E R S I T Y

Dena'ina culture bearer Aaron

Leggett near the spot where

Dena'ina warriors fought with

an Alutiiq raiding party in the

mid-eighteenth century.

A c c o l a d e s 5

n November of 2006, the University of Alaska Anchorage

received the Community Engaged University classification

from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of

Teaching.This new classification, launched in February 2006,

recognizes colleges and universities for their commitment to

community engagement.

The Carnegie Foundation defines Community

Engagement as “the collaboration between institutions of

higher education and their larger communities (local,

regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial

exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of

partnership and reciprocity.” Divided into two categories,

the Community Engaged classification can be awarded for

Curricular Engagement and/or Outreach and Partnerships.

UAA was one of only 62 institutions recognized in both

categories.

“The Community Engagement Classification is an

exciting move in Carnegie’s work to extend and refine the

classification of colleges and universities,” said Alexander

McCormick, who directs Carnegie’s classification work.

“It represents a significant affirmation of the importance

of community engagement in the agenda of higher

education.” The foundation formed a national advisory

panel of 12 scholars to evaluate an institution’s qualifica-

tions for and contributions to community engagement.

According to the Carnegie Foundation, in order to be

selected for the elective Community Engagement

Classification,“institutions had to provide descriptions

and examples of institutional practices of community

engagement that showed alignment among mission,

culture, leadership, resources and practices.” UAA joins

other top colleges and universities as award recipients,

including University of California-Los Angeles, New York

University, University of Pennsylvania, DePaul University,

among others. Of the many specific stories that

illustrate UAA’s outreach, here are a few of which we feel

especially proud.

Dena'ina Heritage andRepresentation in Anchorage

ong before the first student arrived at UAA, back when the small

creek that meanders through campus was commonly known as

Chanshtnu, back before million-dollar homes stretched along the

Coastal Trail, the Dena'ina peoples had full, vibrant lives on the

land that we now call Anchorage. Many modern residents of

Alaska are unaware of the rich history of this territory and of the

Native peoples that first inhabited this land. As Anchorage

established itself as a city, as buildings rose and parking lots were

paved, the Dena'ina peoples’ presence faded in the minds of many

residents, and the compelling stories of First Alaskans could only be

found in museums or in books. Slowly structures have been built to

help educate the public and honor the Alaska Natives: The Alaska

Native Heritage Center, the Alaska Native Language Center,

Eklutna Historical Park, and exhibits at the Anchorage Museum of

History and Art, among others. But even with the rise of

From left: (barely shown) Elsie Ondola, George Ondola, Herbert Alex, MikeAlex, Lois Alex, and Margaret Alex taken around 1935. Mike Alex was thefather of Herbert, Lois and Katherine and the uncle of Elsie and George.Mike Alex was the last traditional chief of Eklutna until his death in 1977.

Continued on page 6

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information resources, the Dena'ina people and their heritage in

Anchorage have not been diligently represented. However, through the

work of Dr. Steve Langdon of UAA, Dr. James Fall, co-author of Shem

Pete’s Alaska: a definitive cultural geography of the Upper Cook Inlet

Dena'ina, and Mr. Aaron Leggett, a former Dena'ina student at UAA

and a classroom full of students, that is changing.

During the Spring semester of 2006, an anthropology class entitled,

“Dena'ina Heritage and Representation in Anchorage” made its debut

at UAA. This course, taught by James Fall and Steve Langdon, was

the first of its kind to combine research on Dena'ina cultural heritage

with the design and production of heritage markers to highlight the

traditional homelands of the Dena'ina people. “We felt that accurate,

respectful representation of Dena'ina heritage, meaningful to Dena'ina

people was long overdue,” said Dr. Langdon.

The first class included 12 students and participants ranging from

the traditional-aged college student to adult members of the tribal

community. Partially funded by UAA’s Office of Community

Partnerships, this unique course worked to bridge the gap between

academia, the Anchorage community, and the Native peoples of the

Upper Cook Inlet region. Six Dena'ina students, including tribal

members from the Native Villages of Eklutna and Knik, studied the

history of Dena'ina language and education. The students went out

into the community and interviewed Dena'ina Elders; they also listened

to and transcribed oral recordings of Dena'ina elders. Others cataloged

and inventoried photographs depicting the lives of Dena'ina peoples in

the region. All of this work served an important goal: to prepare

prototype heritage markers for significant Dena'ina locations

throughout Anchorage.

In order for the products of this course to be successful, the

“Dena'ina Heritage and Representation” class needed to garner support

from the Municipality of Anchorage and the Alaska Native community

organizations. With the encouragement of all ancillary groups, the

students completed six prototype posters which will be made into

permanent signs and placed at various Anchorage locations. One

piece, Dena'ina War Stories, was requested by the Kincaid Park

director and now a replica of this original poster resides on the park

grounds. Dena'ina War Stories memorializes a battle at Point

Campbell and the successful resistance to Russian colonization efforts.

Another poster—associated with the Municipality’s Sustainable

Salmon program—is located on Campbell Creek, Qin Cheghitnu,

which means “Crying Ridge Creek” in the Dena'ina language.

Qin Cheghitnu flows from Qin Cheghi, Crying Ridge, (now known as

Tanaina Peak) in the Chugach mountains. Because much of the

Dena'ina homeland was visible from Qin Cheghi, it became a

mourning place for the Dena'ina people to remember their ancestors

and lost loved ones. This poster demonstrates the rich cultural

heritage of the Dena'ina peoples in the Anchorage bowl.

The efforts to bring Dena'ina heritage to the forefront of

Anchorage’s landscape carries on this Spring semester 2007 with the

second offering of ANTH 490. In addition to the continued course

work by the UAA students and faculty, a Dena'ina Heritage Working

Group—which consists of both community and University members—

has been formed as a result of this course. "The Dena'ina Heritage

Working Group arose out of the cooperative interaction developed in

the class from Dena'ina culture bearers (Aaron Leggett, Debra Call,

Maria Coleman) and academics (Jim Fall, Steve Langdon). We

provided information and testimony at the Assembly hearing in August

2006 when the name Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center was

unanimously approved as the name for the new facility,” said Dr.

Langdon. “The Mayor and his assistant, Schawna Thoma, immediate-

ly recognized the importance of our efforts and the Mayor took the

initiative by asking her to meet with us. The working group arose out

of that subsequent meeting.” This established group will serve as a

resource for the Municipality of Anchorage as it plans activities and

events that relate to Dena'ina heritage.

“We felt that accurate, respectfulrepresentation of Dena'ina heritage, meaningful to Dena'inapeople was long overdue.”

- Dr. Steve Langdon

Inhabitants of the Dena’ina village of Tyonek, located across Cook Inlet fromAnchorage. The photograph was taken during the 1898 Edwin F. Glenn CookInlet U.S.Army Expedition. UAA Archives & Special Collections, Edwin F. Glenn papers.

A c c o l a d e s 7

C O M M U N I T Y E N G A G E M E N T

Photographed at fish camp in Anchorage in 1918, this image of K’enaht’ana (Knik) Dena’ina Athabaskans was part of a series produced by the Alaska EngineeringCommission to document the construction of the Alaska Railroad. Many local Dena'ina worked for the Alaska Railroad and aided in its construction. The Dena'inahad fish camps throughout the Anchorage bowl well into the 1950’s when expansion of Anchorage resulted in the loss of these traditional camps.Photo courtesy of UAA Archives & Special Collections,APU Anchorage Historic photographs.

UAA’s Kenai Peninsula College and the Kenai Senior Center collaborate on The Portrait Project

For the second consecutive year, Art students at Kenai Peninsula

College (KPC) paired up with senior citizens at the Kenai Senior

Center to create dynamic portraits of resi-

dents as part of The Portrait Project. This

partnership combines art course content with

community service, allowing students to

make a significant connection with a facet of

the community outside the classroom.

The debut Portrait Project involved

students from both Beginning Drawing and

Color Photography classes at KPC. Both

courses were redesigned to include the

Portrait Project as a service learning compo-

nent. The Writing for the Natural and Social Sciences class was

involved as well in the Portrait Project to aid art students in interview

techniques and to document the process. Art students practiced the

technical skills needed to render and photograph the human portrait

and began to understand that a “portrait” is

more than a drawing or snapshot of a

person. Students had an opportunity to

explore the expressive significance of the

portrait through a three-week long exchange

at the center. Through interview type con-

versations, art students became acquainted

with senior citizens in order to do a signifi-

cantly expressive portrait of their senior

models. The project culminated in the

mounting of a major exhibition of senior’s

portraits, which debuted at the Kenai Senior Center and then moved

to KPC for one month.

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“Evelyn is such a sweet lady. She makes sure she keeps active both physically andmentally. She loves her family, to write poetry and to play Upward. In her portrait,I included one of her poems which I feel best represents her. It tells about why shewrites, what she writes, and displays her humor very well. There is also a link ofpaper dolls at the bottom of the portrait. These represent her three daughters, whoshe loves very much and are a big part of her life.”

The Ford Foundation’sEncountering Controversy Project

Through a unique collaboration with Alaska Pacific University,

UAA is bringing diversity to the forefront with community and

university events and discussions based on two important books,

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Ann Fadimon and

The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle. Both books are part of the

Book of the Year program and serve as catalysts to discuss issues

of multiculturalism, immigration and assimilation. In March of

this year, T.C. Boyle gave a free public lecture at UAA’s Wendy

Williamson Auditorium. Boyle spoke to a packed house of both

university and community members.

This grant, funded as part of the Ford Foundation’s Difficult

Dialogues initiative, was created in response to reports of growing

intolerance and efforts to curb academic freedom at colleges and

universities. The goal of the initiative is to help institutions

address this challenge through academic and campus programs that

enrich learning, encourage new scholarship and engage students

and faculty in constructive dialogue

about contentious political,

religious, racial and cultural issues.

Tax Help for Underserved Alaskans

If an average American is asked about doing taxes, most will admit it

is a daunting task. Some people struggle through the forms after years

of learning one or two tricks to make the process just a bit easier.

Many people try to avoid the headache all together and hire an

accountant. For several Alaskans who barely make the minimum

amount of money to survive, paying someone to do their taxes is not

an option. Thanks to the UAA Accounting Club’s Volunteer Income

Tax Assistance program (VITA), some Alaskans are able to receive the

help they need to prepare and file their Federal Income Taxes.

VITA is a volunteer program sponsored by the Alaska Business

Development Center, the IRS and UAA. Each spring, students travel

to rural Alaska communities to assist residents with their tax

preparation. Not only does this program give students the opportunity

to gain professional experience, it allows them to visit villages and

help a population of Alaskans that are in great need.

This excellent community service is also offered in Anchorage.

During the height of tax season, VITA students set up consulting

stations on the UAA campus.

C O M M U N I T Y E N G A G E M E N T

A c c o l a d e s 9

UAA accounting student Ricardo Tajeda assists a taxpayer in the village of Napakiak

T.C. Boyle

A L U M N I U P D A T E

D E G R E E S O F C H A N G E

UAA graduates bring passion and

dedication to their chosen careers

Ann Parrish A Lifet ime Of Giv ing Back

A c c o l a d e s 1 1

t’s not unlikely that one day there could be a statue of Ann Parrish ona University of Alaska campus. Probably some combination of TheThinker, posed in sober meditation, and the larger-than-life Venus de

Milo, a pithy inscription etched into the marble:“If you’re reading this, theUniversity is important to you. Get your checkbook.”

One thing is certain. Long after her duties as the Chair of the UAFoundation Board have been fulfilled and she’s “in a jar or sprinkled some-where,” she says she will still be contributing to the University and itsprograms through this “private money machine.” And quite frankly, shecan’t think of a more significant way to be immortalized.

“The foundation is the vehicle that will allow me to continue myinvolvement with the university beyond my lifetime—over the next 100years, or forever,” she says.“I can contribute a piece of my estate and say‘I want you to set up a scholarship for people likeAnn Parrish was in 1976.’”

As a 1978 UAA business school gradate,Parrish earned her CPA and went on to work forbig eight accounting firm Arthur Young, while alsobeing the President of the Board of Regents in1987 and raising three children with her husbandAl. In 1991, she became a full-time volunteer and“dabbled” in private investments, including developing the concept for Electric Bread, a breadmachine recipe book that sold over two million copes in 29 countries. But if you ask her what her biggest contribution has been, atthe top of the list will be helping advance the University.

“I truly believe that I was put in the place I was put in at the time Iwas put there because I am the person who is supposed to do this,” shesays of her tireless efforts to advance the University’s multiple missionsfor people who are in the same place she was 30 years ago. “I’m not allthat special,” she says of her various appointments.“It wasn’t Ann. It wasthe synergy and the fact that I’ve always been surrounded by extremelytalented, committed people who want the same things to happen forAlaska. It was that moment in time.”

But, she is quick to point out, she could just as easily have been one ofthe statistics that slipped through the cracks. After attending BrighamYoung University on an academic scholarship, she ran away to California“to get a tan,” she says, before moving to Fairbanks with her first husband.

Although she saw herself traveling the world and writing poetry, sheended up as a young divorcee with a child and needed to look at a degreethat would result in a steady income.

“The University allowed me to enter into a profession that gave methe experience in the business world that prepared me for the next 30years of my life,” she says. “Everything I’ve done since then has been builton that baseline of education that gave me the tools to manage a family,finances and operate several significant businesses.”

Today, Parrish is regarded as one of the University’s leading champions.She is Chair of the UA Foundation Board of Trustees, which she hasserved on for the past 19 years. As a big believer in civic duty, and forpersonal reasons, she says it is her favorite volunteer effort in Alaska.Founded in 1974, the foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization

that manages and invests all gifts given in supportof UAA, UAS and UAF, investing these funds anddistributing the gifts to ensure that the moneygiven by a private donor is spent according tothe donor’s designation.

“The University is the strongest force thestate of Alaska has as a tool to enhance thefuture of the state and the quality of life that ourcitizens enjoy,” Parrish says. “Having an educatedpopulace, trained with specific skills, that allows

individuals to be their personal best so they can in turn lead Alaska to bethe best possible place it can be—the University of Alaska is the vehiclefor making that happen. It certainly worked for me.”

As a non-traditional student during her tenure at UAA, Parrish isespecially impassioned about continuing to develop opportunities forthose students, and about providing a good school for Alaskans who wantto receive a quality education without leaving the state, such as NativeAlaskans who are less likely to drop out if they continue their schoolingat home. The Alaska Scholars Program, focused on keeping Alaska’sbrightest high school graduates in Alaska, is a prime example of how thecycle of education and quality of life for all Alaskans can work, she says.

“We are an educational institution that can provide educationalopportunities beyond high school to every Alaska citizen, whether it’s atwo-year degree, a four-year degree, or a Ph.D., and whether it’s in culinary arts, firefighting or engineering,” she says. “It’s so multi-mission—it’s amazing.”

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The University is the strongestforce the state of Alaska has asa tool to enhance the future ofthe state and the quality of life

that our citizens enjoy.— Ann Parrish

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Kai Hibbard The Biggest Winner

n New Year’s Day 2006, Kai Hibbard was hung over, lounging aroundher apartment in size 26 jeans and a T-shirt, rewinding the previousego-bruising girls night out. While her friends flew around the

dance floor in heels and bling, her sex appeal was limited by only beingable to do “the fat girl shuffle” in practical shoes.

“We were in this club where one entire wall was a mirror. When Icaught a glimpse of myself I suddenly realized I was the fat friend,” shesays now.

Instead of plopping on the couch with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s MarshaMarsha Marshmallow ice cream, this time she used the TV to skyrocketfrom her Eagle River living room to Hollywood. Heeding her parents’advice, Hibbard decided right then to make an audition tape for the realityTV show “The Biggest Loser.” The $250,000 top prize would go to one of

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14 contestants who could lose the most weight in sevenmonths.

“I’m 27. I am too young not to be sexy,” she says inthe audition tape she made that morning, talking into aweb cam propped on her television set.“Pick me!”

It was the first step toward losing 45.04 percent ofher body weight from her 5’5” frame, dropping from 262to 118 pounds, and landing as a size eight pseudo celebritywho won second place, while setting the record for themost weight ever lost by a female contestant. Along withthe $50,000—and that doesn’t include pending perks—today she has a publicity agent named Raul, was on theApril 2007 cover of Woman’s World magazine, and is getting married in October.

Her weight wasn’t the only problem her successsolved. As a 2005 UAA graduate with majors in CriminalJustice and Psychology, and a minor in English, Hibbard had$65,000 in student loans to pay off and she wanted to goto law school. Since then, she has instead decided to goback to UAA to get her master’s degree in social work. Inmore than one way, she says, it’s her way of giving back.

“Being able to complete my bachelor’s at UAA showedme that I can finish anything I can start,” she says. “Ithelped me prepare for the challenge.” As a non-traditionalfreshman, Hibbard says she wouldn’t be where she istoday if it weren’t for the flexibility of the UAA faculty andcurriculum, and having access to quality, affordable educa-tion. It is one of the reasons she will return to the

University for her graduate degree and why she is also encouraging herfiancée to get his degree there.

In addition to the prize money she won, Hibbard is also consideringseveral sponsorship and endorsement opportunities that she will be ableto pursue while working on her master’s because of flexible schedulingoptions like the accelerated degree and distance education programs. Shehopes, too, she can give a seminar on her experience through one of thehealth programs, and might eventually like to teach at UAA.

The other way UAA will enable her give back is by working with ado-lescent females who have the same difficult weight and body image issues.

“I am the same person now that I was in the beginning and I lovemyself no matter what size I am. But I was fat for a reason: it takes achange in the mind for there to be a change in the body,” Hibbard says.“Young girls are being taught that if their body is not Hollywood industrythin, they should detest it. Women perpetuate it, quite honestly, so it’sgoing to take women to change it.”

Crest Trail before he ran out of money. Just a speed bump, he thought. Heheaded back to Portland and got a job at a running store called “FootTraffic” while he worked toward his dream of buying an RV and a laptop,then driving around the country freelancing articles on environmentalissues. Until, he says,“A trip to the dentist determined my fate,” and the$2,000 bill didn’t leave any cash left over for the RV and the computer.He stayed at the running store and was presented with the opportunityto buy the chain of Foot Traffic stores five months later. Today, he and hispartner Eli Lane, coincidentally from Seward, own three stores in down-town and northeast Portland, and a third in Lake Oswego.

Choosing between a path to the newsroom and becoming a business-man was a difficult choice, Rivers says. Although he has not yet used his

degree as a member of the working press, he has not abandoned the idea,and in the meantime, it continues to serve him well in business. Besidesthe writing, interviewing and public relations skills he uses daily, his UAAexperience taught him more than how to “sling shoes at people,” he says.“UAA certainly provided me with a level of independence that has servedas an archetype for running my business.”

A c c o l a d e s 1 3

A L U M N I U P D A T E

ross country runners head toward a different finish line. Theirs is ajourney where no two steps are the same. Solo spirits on a narrowtrail, they are not motivated by distance or pace. Each journey is

measured by the feeling of abandon and escape, and at the end of everytrail, they eagerly anticipate the beginning of the next.

Whether Sean Rivers talks about earning his Journalism andPublic Communications Degree from UAA, his love of cross countryand the outdoors, or his contributions as co-owner of a chain ofrunning and walking specialty stores, it’s the journey of getting therehe’s interested in, not about making it from point A to point B.

After four years of high school cross country and devoting himself to the school paper, in the winter of 1998 Rivers drove theAlcan Highway from Sandy, Oregon to Alaska, taking in the viewsalong the way and looking forward to the bigger picture.

“I had always been fascinated with any place that could be solarge and beautiful and rugged,” he says.“I love mountains, snow,hiking and the idea of being really far away from where I grew up.”His high school coach had promoted him to the University’s headcross country running coach Michael Friess, and he knew the schoolhad a reputable journalism department.

Running was his ticket in.“I decided to go to Alaska on awhim—I figured: Alaska, running, journalism…good.” I surprised mycoach. He didn’t think I was coming up, I just showed up in his officeand started school in the spring of ’99,” Rivers says, remembering acollege and cross country career he still holds close to his heart.

“Attending UAA was probably the best decision I could havemade after high school,” Rivers says. “I was fortunate to go to a really legitimate four-year school that is committed to constantlyimproving their services, campus, and academic programs. It wasclear from the start that there was a focus on improving everyaspect of the school.”

In 2003, Rivers graduated from the Journalism department withan emphasis in print media. “My favorite professors were all professionals at one point in the journalism world, so their practical experience gave me a glimpse of what it's like to function outside of an educational environment. As a result, I felt much more confident in my prospects after leaving college than I would haveotherwise,” Rivers says.

UAA’s social dynamic also made him want to see more of the worldand contribute in a meaningful way. “The student body was one of themost eclectic groups I’d ever met, and groups like the Outdoor Clubtapped into the explorative part of my personality,” Rivers explains,making him want to find out more about different cultures and lifestyles.

At the head of a new trail, right after graduation, Rivers loaded hisbackpack and from the Mexican border hiked 900 miles across the Pacific

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Sean RiversRunning For The Future

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o by

Joni

Kab

ana

1 4 A c c o l a d e s

hen the 70 pounds of rotten elk steaks showed up on WilliamVarney’s doorstep, all he really wanted was an apology fromUnited Parcel Service (UPS). But when the international ship-

ping conglomerate was uncooperative and refused to admit to its mistakeof shipping his meat from Colorado to Maine via ground, instead of by air,local business leaders Varney and his longtime hunting buddy EdwardHennessey called Eaton Peabody, the Bangor, ME law firm they used forprofessional legal counsel.

Just out of law school, David Walker, a 2000 UAA Justice Departmentgraduate, was just learning the ropes during his second week at the firmas a litigation associate when he was handed the case.

“They thought it would be a good case for me to cut my teeth on,”Walker says from his office.“When I first got it, I thought, ‘Geez. Whatam I suppose to do with this?’ There wasn’t a lot of money involved, but itwas important to Ed and Bill because they felt that UPS had reallywronged them. They thought they’d entered into a contract to ship thisfrozen elk meet overnight by air. But UPS shipped it by truck and rail andthe meat went bad.”

The story is right out of John Grisham novel: in Varney v. UPS andHennessey v. UPS, the Maine Superior Court found that the company

violated the Carmack Amendment to the Interstate Commerce Actbecause it failed to provide customers with a meaningful opportunity tochoose to pay a higher rate and thereby expose UPS to greater liability.UPS will not insure any parcel that is perishable or sensitive to tempera-ture, so when the men dropped the processed elk meat off for shipment,Walker argued, they didn’t have a reason to insure the freight for morethan the $100.

“The reason it was important is that it wasn’t a standard breach ofcontract case,” Walker says.“I argued that the standard shipping contractwas invalid under federal law. It was sort of an audacious claim to make.I thought there was no way the district court would agree with us.”

When the courts did agree,Walker says he wasastounded and his clients were ecstatic. As far asWalker is concerned, whether it’s this victory orthe good fortune that’s come to him so far in hisyoung career, UAA should get a lot of the creditfor his professional and personal successes.

“I can say without hesitation that theUniversity of Alaska opened new worlds to meand played a pivotal role in shaping the person thatI am today. In that respect, UAA was exactly whatcollege should be—an empowering and life-altering experience.”

A self-described “flunky,” school had neverbeen his thing before coming to the University.“Then I realized there was this whole universe ofknowledge out there,” he says. The more classeshe took, the more he wanted to take not only injustice, but in sociology, psychology, English andhistory, in which he received a minor.

He left for the University of Maine Law Schoolin 2000 ranking second in his class after complet-ing only his first year, then ultimately graduatingeighth in the class in 2003.

Walker says.“The point is not that I got goodgrades (in law school): it’s that I was really prepared because I had good professors.Academically I was not at a disadvantage.”

“UAA gave me the tools I needed to succeed.I had a lot of great professors who spent time with me outside of theclassroom and talked to me about what my options were and what Iwanted to do with my future,” he says fondly. “There were no doorsclosed.”

“Whether I was traveling to Juneau to raise awareness of Universityissues before the Alaska State Legislature, or simply debating the issues ofthe day in the student senate, I was developing public speaking and interpersonal skills that I rely on in the courtroom. I learned a lot abouthow organizations worked and what it takes to be effective.”

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David Walker In the Name of the Law

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Kat

hy R

ice

A c c o l a d e s 1 5

A L U M N I U P D A T E

hat do Rod Stewart,Tim McGraw,Tommy Moe, Marvin Runyon,John Travolta, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, Charles Gibson, adozen giggling girls and a very tipsy bridegroom have in

common? They’ve all been passengers on The Magic Bus, a well-knowntransportation company that specializes in shuttling passengers around thegreater Anchorage area.

The idea for the business, owner Tim Melican says, started as a busi-ness plan project required for the “Strategic Behavior” course needed toget his MBA from UAA in 1996. He’d seen the idea work in San Diegoand became convinced Alaska was ready for group custom transportationsolutions besides the occasional limo or school bus rental.

“It’s beyond me why anyone would get a master’s degree to drive abus,” the professor of the class told him. And his mother agreed. Tenyears later, they’re all laughing. Although the professor gave him a B on theproject and a B for the semester, he now sites Melican in MBA classes andMelican’s mother is the proud parent of a very successful Anchorage business owner. He started The Magic Bus Transportation Company with

a 21-passenger mid-size motor coach that gave him theflexibility to accommodate small and large groups. Today,the company is one of Alaska’s most well-known on-calltransportation companies, offering custom transit solutionsto groups ranging from five to 55 passengers onboard fivevehicles including two limousine-style buses, two mid-sizemotor coaches, and an 11-person conversion van.

When Melican entered UAA’s MBA program in 1995, hewasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his new degree, butwas open to the opportunities that come with education.He had a bachelor’s in marketing from San Diego State, andhad worked in sales for almost five years before shifting toreal estate while he worked toward his MBA at night.

“What I didn’t know was that buying a single vehiclewould turn into a 10-year career,” he says, looking back.“Ijust thought it would be kind of fun for awhile.”

What he did know was that he wanted to settle in acommunity that was good for business and the kind oftown where he might be able to keep the promise he’dmade to his mother—to eventually get married and have kids.

“At 18, it’s great to go away, break the ties, meet newpeople and learn to balance a checkbook. When you’rethinking about getting a master’s degree, you need to thinkabout what you want on a professional and personal leveland try to marry those two. Had I gone away and comeback after graduate school, I would have been starting from scratch.”

At the same time, the importance of education hadalways been emphasized growing up and he would not sacrifice quality instruction just to be able to stay in

Anchorage: his father, George Melican, was Chancellor at AnchorageCommunity College before it merged with UAA, and his mother and sister both have graduate degrees. The more he researched UAA, themore he knew the school fulfilled his personal and professional goals.

“Ph.D. professors were actually teaching the classes, as opposed to universities where the professor has a graduate assistant leading the class.To me, that was very valuable,” he says of his decision. New buildings oncampus also made him feel like it was an institution he would be proud toattend and the caliber of the students was an additional endorsement—most of them had full-time jobs working for reputable companies in someof the state’s largest industries.

While studying for his MBA, UAA offered Melican another opportunitythat complimented his education by allowing him to focus on practicalapplications of business development. During his first semester in the program, he was asked to be a counselor at the University of Alaska SmallBusiness Development Center, offering one-on-one counseling and hostingseminars that addressed how to balance life and business goals. It helpeddevelop his own business skills, while exposing him to other people in thebusiness community and building his credibility.

“It was just one in a series of smart decisions I’ve made over the past10 years,” he says.“And there is always a little bit of luck.”

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Tim Melican Driven To Succeed

Tim and Magic Bus Tour driver Tasha Barnes

1 6 A c c o l a d e s

A donation is made – an alumnusdecides to support UAAEach gift, large or small, enhances UAA's educational experience, creatinggreater student opportunities.

Why giving is important to UAA

"Hello...my name is Abbie and I'm a UAA student majoring inbiology. I understand you're an alum of the University. That'sgreat! I'm calling to let you know what's going on at UAA and totalk to you about giving to the University. This fund provides forstudent aid, campus enhancements, internships, among manyother things. Can I count on your support with a pledgetonight?...yes, $100...thank you so much!"

Every Sunday through Thursday a group of students spend a fewhours reconnecting UAA with its alumni through a semester-longphonathon. During the course of a congenial conversation, students learn about alumni achievements, current employment,areas of interest, as well as work to garner support of UAA in theform of a financial pledge. Through this effort, students managedto raise a record $49,000 in Fall 2006! With the beginning of eachnew semester comes a new phonathon and a new goal. Thephonathon is one way private donations are generated to support UAA.

As a friend of UAA, we thought you'd be interested in taking awalk down the "path of a gift."Student callers

connect with alumniThe UAA alumni phonathon,managed by the UniversityAdvancement Office ofDevelopment, reconnects UAAalumni with the Universitythrough student callers. Thisoutreach provides alumni achance to reflect on how UAAmade a difference in the livesof others by giving back to theUniversity. Gifts received fromalumni support student scholarships, programs of distinction, faculty excellence,facilities and more.

2

3

1The donation is processed and is sentto the University of Alaska Foundationfor investing, holding or disbursementOnce a donor makes a gift, the money goesthrough the "behind the scenes" process and isrecorded and directed to the University ofAlaska Foundation. The donor receives a taxreceipt for their gift from the Foundation.

Photo by Michael Dinneen

The Path of a Gif tThe Path of a Gif tUAA Phonathon Reconnects with Alumni

A c c o l a d e s 1 7

The donation is put to work= happy students and bright futuresOnce the donation is processed, program leaders can make the giftwork as the donor intended. Lecture series, professional development opportunitiesfor faculty, internships, technology enhancements, student clubs and programs, andscholarships are just a few examples of how individual gifts are currently furthering ourstudents' education at UAA, and enhancing our community.

“It’s unbelievable how much scholarships help a student,” said Zeljka Jutric, 2005 UAAHonors Scholar. “Medical school is very expensive, and it was nice to come out of my undergraduate career without a huge debt. I’m extremely grateful.”

4

5The gift is distributed according to the donor’s wishes Donors have the ability to designate their giftsto scholarships; colleges, departments or pro-grams; athletics, the UAA/APU ConsortiumLibrary or whatever the donor's interest – allrepresent important areas of the University.The Annual Fund for Excellence, anotheroption, is one of the most flexible designationsfor gifts. This unrestricted fund is directed bythe Chancellor and provides the dollars to fundthe University's highest priorities.

It is a partnership with donorsThe Office of Development keeps confidentialrecords to recognize donors and inform themof the impact of their giving. Every giftmakes a difference and has an impact oneach and every student. We are asinterested telling donors about theimpact of their giving as we are inhearing from our donors aboutwhat is important to them.

6

1 8 A c c o l a d e s

ale as old as time: a bright Alaskan leaves the village to go to

college, packed with the best intentions to one day return and use

their knowledge to better their hometown community. “But after that,

we’re all aware of the statistics,” Lorrie Mortensen, Regional Vice

President of Patient Care at Ketchikan General Hospital says. “They

don’t come back.”

Mortensen was one of the first health care industry representatives

whose hospital contributed money to the University/Industry Nursing

Education Task Force, a 20-member group organized in 2002 to look

at how the University could help address the escalating statewide

nursing shortage. At President Mark Hamilton’s directive, the group—

comprising University and health care representatives from Alaska

hospitals and Native Alaskan health care groups—needed to find a

way to at least double the number of nursing school graduates. The

School of Nursing (SON) was graduating less than 100 nurses per

year. Offering students a way to stay at home

and get a nursing degree was a critical part of the

solution to filling the shortage, especially in rural

Alaska where the need is even greater and the

ability to attract nurses more difficult.

Jan Harris, Associate Dean of the UAA

College of Health and Social Welfare, was

tasked with facilitating the project. The starting

point, she says, was to determine how the

University and the medical community could

most effectively work together.

“The University’s role was to be on the sup-

ply side of the imminent shortage,” Harris says.

“We focused on increasing the number of gradu-

ates and the dispersion of those graduates: if the University did not

step up to this role, then it meant that hospitals would just be trading

nurses around, and it wouldn’t be solving the shortage.”

Doubling the number of graduates meant doubling the size of the

school, a very expensive venture, she says, that would not have been

possible without financial contributions from the industry. UAA could

only accommodate 50 more students than they were already admit-

ting. More students would mean the need for more classrooms, lab

space, and faculty.

Since 2002, the University has contributed over $4 million and the

hospitals $3.2 million to the expansion effort. Besides money, one of

the other significant challenges, Harris says, was that the main

nursing education activity was in Anchorage. The only cost-effective

solution was to spread nursing education out across the state.

Fairbanks and Kodiak had started similar pilot programs, Harris says,

so there had already been some experience with the associate degree

program being taught from other locations and the task force had

every reason to believe it would work.

The effort was more successful than anyone imagined it would be:

as of last year, the SON was graduating twice the number of nurses,

and this past fall, there were 215 admission seats available to students

wanting to go into nursing, more than doubling the capacity. Ten rural

sites were established in Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Kodiak, Kenai,

Kotzebue, Bethel, Fairbanks, Homer and the Mat-Su Valley, offering

rural students the opportunity to get an advanced degree without

leaving home, and increasing the likelihood that they would stay and

work in their communities after graduation. The satellite programs

were so successful there are now plans to add new sites in Valdez,

Petersburg, Nome, Barrow and Dillingham.

Besides accomplishing its goals of growing enrollment and

increasing access to nursing education, the University and the health

care industry alliance is a prime example of what can be accomplished

when academia and the private sector partner.

“It’s more than just money,” Jean Ballantyne, Director of the

School of Nursing, says. “They embraced nursing education in their

communities. They see the value of what it will do to help them and

help their citizens.”

Ketchikan General Hospital would not come close to being able to

fill its nursing positions without the expansion program, Mortensen

says, and has offered employment to every UAA nursing graduate

who has applied there. Currently, the hospital has no positions posted

and its turnover rate has dropped from 20 percent to less than 10

percent because of its ability to retain local nurses who wanted to

pursue an advanced degree and stay in the community. Besides being

good for the students and the hospital, the community directly benefits

from the increased number of well-paid professionals: new graduates

make $51,000 annually, which does not include benefits and higher

shift differential pay.

Despite the measurable success, everyone agrees that to lose

momentum would be counter-productive and sustaining the growth is

the challenge now. According to Harris, the University would like to

Filling the Gap:UAA Partners withIndustry to DoubleAlaska’s Nurses

T

Photos by Jo Overholt

A c c o l a d e s 1 9

P R O G R E S S I V E P R O G R A M S

Without the financial donations of Alaska health care industry

partners and the in-kind contributions of hundreds of clinical sites,

the School of Nursing would not have been able to expand its

program to better meet industry needs now and in the future.

These industry partners also participate in twice-yearly meetings

to provide guidance and oversight to the expansion efforts as the

Nursing Education Advisory Council.

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

Alaska Regional Hospital

Bartlett Regional Hospital

Central Peninsula General Hospital

Fairbanks Memorial Hospital

Ketchikan General Hospital

Maniilaq Health Center

Mat-Su Regional Medical Center

Providence Alaska Medical Center

Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center

Sitka Community Hospital

South Peninsula Hospital

Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Center

admit as many as 265 students to the SON annually, but there are

potential roadblocks to reaching that goal. Time is one issue: although

the health care industry can absorb the new graduates, Harris says,

they will still need experience and mentoring before being fully

functional practitioners. It takes $3 million to fund the program at its

current size and funding for sustaining the program in part relies on

the Alaska Legislature. And it is a never-ending challenge to maintain

and recruit faculty, another indicator of the constant shortage that

plagues the nursing profession nationwide.

Clockwise from upper left: UAA nursing students Brian Schneider; Genevieve Sykes (left), and Amy Murrell

(right); James Hasegawa (left) and Julie Tummonds (right); Scott Stohl. Opposite page: Kelly Marshall

Above: Genevieve Sykes (left),

and China Stone (right).

Left: Rachelle McIntyre

2 0 A c c o l a d e s

n Alaska, talk of the proposed natural gas pipeline project—the

largest natural resource development since the Alaska oil pipeline

was built—is talk of jobs. According to the Alaska Department of

Labor, the short-term benefits from the proposed natural gas pipeline

project will include 6,500 direct construction jobs and in the long-

term over 50,000 indirect jobs as the project enters the permitting,

engineering, pre-construction and construction stages.

But, according to Dr. Jang Ra, Professor and Founding Chair of

the University of Alaska Anchorage Engineering, Science and Project

Management (ESPM) Department, having enough jobs for Alaskans is

not the concern. Having the skilled workforce to fill those jobs—

especially experienced project managers (PM)—is what elected

officials and the construction and engineering industry should be

worried about. More than 40 percent of the construction industry’s

work force is older than 45 and could retire within the decade. At the

same time, the industry continues to ride a growth curve that has been

going on since the 1980s.

“The window of opportunity is not waiting for us forever,” Ra

says. To take advantage of projects like the gas line so that they are

economically feasible, the industry needs to stop the “cowboy style of

managing resource development projects.”

PM is broadly defined as the “application of knowledge, skills,

tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.”

UAA’s program started in 2004 as part of the School of Engineering

and offers a PM certification and four Master of Science degrees in

engineering management, science management, PM and global supply

chain management. An advisory board comprises 24 Alaska industry

leaders and helps the department focus on changing needs of the PM

community and how the department’s curriculum can help meet those.

Since the program began in the spring of 2004, enrollment has

grown from 20 to 60 students, and continues to meet Ra’s projection

of enrolling 30 to 40 new students every year.

“UAA’s Engineering Science and Project Management Department

is entering into a new era, poised to change how technology-oriented

projects are managed in the state of Alaska and the Pacific Rim,” he

says, adding that the discipline is a fundamental requirement for

companies interested in improving their productivity, effectiveness and

bottom line.

Preparing Alaskans for Alaska’s jobs

I

Dr Jang Ra addresses one of his his ESPM classesPhoto by Michael Dinneen

A c c o l a d e s 2 1

P R O G R E S S I V E P R O G R A M S

Although the industry repeatedly turns to the University to help

develop this shortage of skilled PMs, Ra says that to really contribute

to the development of Alaska natural resources by graduating

experienced PMs, the University needs to identify the program as a

strategic academic program and hire more faculty.

To keep up with current and future construction demands, con-

tractors will need to replace an estimated 1,000 workers a year and

many large Alaska companies already report needing anywhere from

100 to 500 new PMs, which does not include anticipated needs for the

gas line. As was the case with the oil pipeline, industry leaders fear

that the experience needed for the gas line will not be available and

Alaska will again rely on professionals from outside who do not have

arctic expertise and do not understand the economical and environ-

mental issues exclusive to Alaska.

“I know the state was overwhelmed with the pipeline for resources

and people,” Mark Nelson, ASRC Energy Services COO says. “We

are not prepared today to provide the employees for the gas line project.”

The 800-mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline System was one of the most

amazing—and expensive—construction and engineering feats in the

world. The preconstruction effort alone took six years. The work was

completed by a workforce of 70,000 people that had to be managed in

one of the harshest environments on the planet. The payoff was just as

incredible: construction of the pipeline made development of Alaska’s

North Slope and Prudhoe Bay possible, resulting in the state

collecting $100 billion in oil revenues since statehood.

But there were mistakes made and critical lessons should be

learned from these, including the increased risks if there are not

experienced Alaska PMs available.

The pipeline’s final price tag was $10 billion—10 times the

original cost estimates; this can be partially attributed to challenges

that could have been avoided had there been more project managers

with experience in both the arctic environment and mega projects like

the pipeline. There were also material supply glitches and plans

changed on almost a daily basis, adding even more expense.

“The ability of project managers to integrate all the varied work

efforts by utilizing a project execution plan is critical and it has a

dramatic impact on the final cost, quality and time to market of the

product,” Glenn Doran, ConocoPhillips Alaska, Capital Projects

Manager and Chairman of the UAA Project Management Advisory

Board says. “We are going to learn the lessons one way or another. It’s

to our advantage to learn as many of them in the classroom or through

a PM certification program than on the job. It’s a lot more cost

effective and safer in the classroom.”

As was the case with the oil pipeline, Alaskans could gain a lot if

the development goes through: a new long-term source of state

revenue; more jobs and the residual economic development; an

increased local property tax base; a potential new in-state source of

natural gas for home heating, electricity and industrial uses.

And Alaska could lose a lot if the project is not carefully

managed. To begin with, North Slope gas is competing in an increas-

ingly tough market with the unpredictability of gas prices being the

biggest uncertainty. According to recent estimates, building a gas

pipeline is expected to cost $30 billion, which is already $10 billion

more than estimated in earlier planning stages. When dealing with the

anticipated number of materials—including six million tons of

high-strength steel—an error rate of only one percent could be

measurable and one small mistake in project planning could mean

delays and construction cost overruns that would bump the price tag

by millions and cut into the anticipated profits.

“Project management helps identify and manage risks up front,

before you get to the field,” Doran says. “Spending time to prepare a

good plan and having the discipline to execute that plan is critical to

your success. Change is very expensive once you’re in the field.”

UAA’s Engineering, Science andProject Management Department isentering into a new era, poised tochange how technology-orientedprojects are managed in the stateof Alaska and the Pacific Rim.

—Dr. Jang Ra

2 2 A c c o l a d e s

Dear UAA Alumni,

Accolades is a biannual magazine designedto tell the stories of the University to all ouralumni, donors, friends, faculty and staff. It continues to evolve, and we are excited toannounce that ALUM TRACKS (class notes)will now become a regular feature of this publication. We invite you to share the significant moments of your life with yourUAA classmates by submitting your news,including promotions, marriages, births,memorials, and other items of importance to you. We welcomephotos like the one Don Leaver sent with his UAA flag flyingproudly in Shreveport, Louisiana with an e-mail telling us he is

still a proud UAA Alum! We want to know whereyou are and what you’re doing so we can connectyou with your fellow alumni near and far. We arealways looking for ideas for stories and profiles aswell, so keep your e-mails coming!

ayalum@uaa.alaska.edu907-786-1942/ 3211 Providence Drive, Admin 236,Anchorage, AK 99508.

Stacey Marsh Executive Director, UAA Alumni Association

Fran Ulmer:UAA's New InterimChancellor

A L U M T R A C K S

The following has been excerpted from an interview with Fran Ulmer,UAA's new Interim Chancellor. The entire interview is available by podcast at www.uaa.alaska.edu/podcasts

Q: Can you please tell us a little about your background before beingappointed interim chancellor?

A: I've lived in Alaska since 1973 and since then I have spent most of mylife doing public service in a variety of state and local positions: as a legislator, as a lawyer working for the legislature, as the Director ofPolicy and Planning for Governor Jay Hammond, as Lieutenant Governor,as the mayor of Juneau and most recently as Director of the Institute forSocial and Economic Research at UAA.

Q: How has your background in Alaska state government helped prepareyou to be the new chancellor at UAA?

A: Several different positions have helped prepare me for this job: man-agement responsibilities (including personnel, planning, budget and policyadministration), extensive public outreach (including public speaking,working with community groups and advisory boards), building consensus(including learning how to be a good listener and helping people find com-mon ground), teaching and coordinating research efforts (including raising

money, and matching people, research topics and resources) and helpingorganizations manage change and define a vision that serves the publicinterest.

Working in the legislature is not a one-person show. Being successful inthe legislature means you have to work with both the majority andthe minority. Through negotiation you craft compromises. A universitysetting is similar in that it's very much a shared governance environment;working with the faculty and the staff and the students and the wholecommunity is similar to the legislature.

Being chancellor also resembles being a mayor: mayors articulate thevision and try to get people moving in that direction, but one must alwaysbuild support with key players to make sure that programs move forwardboth internally and externally.

I have no doubt that I will learn things as the interim chancellor that Ihaven't learned in other jobs. I realize this is a complicated job withmany unique conditions that are yet to be discovered. I'm optimistic thatwith a lot of advice from my colleagues and with assistance from goodpeople that are volunteering to assist me in the transition, we'll be fine.

Q: Do you have a vision for UAA?

A: UAA has a mission for excellent education through teaching, researchand public outreach, and all those things are extremely important, not onlyto UAA and to Anchorage, but to the future of Alaska. UAA is headed inthe right direction with growing public support.

As I spend more time with the UAA family, it will become clearer to mewhat modifications in direction might be appropriate. I plan to spendsome time after transitioning and adjusting to the new job, listening andtalking with people about their hopes for UAA's future and its role in thecommunity and in the UA System. It's not just about one person's ideas;it's about the team and it's about the whole organization moving togetheras a team.

I'm sure there will be changes ahead, but we'll build on that strong base ofexcellent faculty and staff, enthusiastic and capable students, meaningfulresearch, and actively engaged public service ... all of which are soimportant here at UAA.

Phot

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Don

Lea

ver

A c c o l a d e s 2 3

S E A W O L F S P O R T S

UAA Dominates Cross Country and Track and Field

Mary Pearce

he University of Alaska Anchorage has established itself as one of the most

successful and competitive cross country and track and field programs in the

Great Northwest Athletic Conference since the league’s inception in 2001.

In the last six seasons, the Seawolf cross country program has claimed a combined

10 top-3 team finishes at the conference meet, won two league titles and earned 25

all-conference certificates. UAA’s men have qualified for Nationals four times, while

the women have qualified two of the last three seasons. The seven overall

appearances at NCAAs are the most combined in the nine-team league.

In the fall of 2006 UAA earned its first individual conference champion when

sophomore David Kiplagat claimed the men’s title, helping lead the Seawolves to a

second-place team effort. The men, who have finished no lower than second at

GNACs for five straight seasons, also qualified for Nationals for the second

consecutive season.

In just two seasons of full institutional sponsorship the Seawolf track and field

program has quickly left its mark in the GNAC, earning 9 individual conference

titles, 17 all-conference selections, and 6 league records. In that same span, five UAA

athletes have qualified for the NCAA Championships.

The Seawolf men finished a program-best fourth overall in the team standings in

2006, eclipsing their previous best result of sixth in 2004. The women also recorded

their highest finish at GNACs, placing sixth in the nine-team field. Both teams

improved upon their ninth-place efforts from the previous season.

The women’s team collected four individual titles, including two each in the sprint

and distance events, while the men picked up two. Three UAA athletes qualified for

the NCAA Championships, with two - Mandy Kaempf and Mary Pearce - earning

All-America accolades. The Seawolf women placed a program-best 33rd at Nationals.

The up-and-coming program only looks to get better in 2007 as head coach

Michael Friess, in his 17th season overall at UAA, continues to stock his roster with

talent – much of it homegrown.

Of the 43 athletes on this season’s roster, 28 are from the state of Alaska,

including 11 men and 17 women. The Seawolves feature eight former Alaska state

champions who have won a combined 15 individual titles at the prep level.

The completion of the SportsDome at Changepoint in the summer of 2007, a new

state-of-the art indoor complex that will feature a six-lane, 400-meter synthetic

running track, will provide UAA’s running programs a top-notch training facility that

can be utilized the year-round.

The future continues to look strong for the already competitive UAA cross country

and track and field programs.

TRACK & FIELD

� 2 All-Americans

� 9 Individual Conference Champions

� 18 All-Conference Honorees

� 22 Academic All-Conference Honorees

� 6 Conference Record Holders

UAA accolades since 2001 …

CROSS COUNTRY

� 1 All-American

� 6 NCAA Championship appearances

� 2 GNAC Titles (men)

� 25 All-Conference Honorees

� 17 All-Region Honorees

� 40 Academic All-Conference Honorees

Michael Madrid

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d/U

AA

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G E N E R O U S D O N O R S

he Rasmuson Foundation, an Alaska non-profit

organization supporting projects to improve the

quality of life for Alaskans, awarded UAA a $100,000

challenge grant that encourages alumni to give to the

program, college or fund of their choice.

Between July 1, 2006, and December 31, 2007, new

gifts of at least $1,000 will be matched with the same

amount until the $100,000 is paid out. The grant also

matches the upgraded portion of gifts made last year, up to

$1,000. For alumni who donate more than the $1,000

minimum, Rasmuson will match the first $1,000.

"There is no more powerful expression of pride and

support than graduates reinvesting through consistent

annual giving, no matter the amount,” said Diane Kaplan,

Rasmuson Foundation president and CEO. “The

Foundation is pleased to work with UAA to grow its

tradition of broad and sustained giving within its 32,000

strong network of alumni."

The Rasmuson Challenge Grant helps UAA broaden

and deepen support within the UAA family, Chancellor

Elaine Maimon said.

“Alumni make up the living tradition of a university,” she said.

“The Rasmuson grant helps us expand alumni outreach and study

innovative ways of reconnecting graduates to UAA."

One of the key benefits of the program is that the Rasmuson match

adds value to alumni donations by leveraging that support so the gift

has a greater impact and greater meaning to the alumni, because the

donor designates what the gift helps support and the match follows

that money.

“This gives alumni the opportunity to give back to UAA with double

the impact,” Julia Martinez, UAA Annual Giving Manager said.

Donations can be made by check, cash or credit card. The total

gift amount can be paid at once, or donors can make a pledge as an

elgible gift. For more information, contact the UAA Development

Office at (907) 786-4847 or go to

http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/advancement/giving/index.cfm.

T

Rasmuson Foundation Matches Alumni Gifts

Melanie Osborne, Steve Buchanan and Janet Faulkner – alumni whose giftshave been matched by the Rasmuson Foundation this year.