The energy and enthusiasm of students and faculty coming back on campus is terrific. Thanks to everyone for doing a dynamite job of responding to this busy time of year. We're off to a great start!

For those new to the UAA community, every month I share a few notes about what is happening on UAA's campuses, including Anchorage, Mat-Su, Kenai, Kodiak and Prince William Sound Community College (PWSCC). I encourage you to send notables to me at chancellor@uaa.alaska.edu Although it is impossible to include everything in CaseNotes, I do want to know about the great things you are doing at UAA.

Campus kick-off stats:
• 951 meals were served by the Men's & Women's Basketball teams.
• Tia's Cart served 475 hot dogs and reindeer sausages.

Students, as we start off the fall semester I'd like to share a little advice for success:

• 1. Work hard
• 2. Have fun and get involved
• 3. If you have a problem, ask. Faculty and staff are here to support you in and out of the classroom.
• 4. Take care of one another – don't let classmates drink and drive.

Faculty and staff notes:

Dewain Lee, dean of students and associate vice chancellor for student development was elected to the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi's chapter relations committee as western regional vice president and to the Society's national board of directors as regional vice president. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

UAA Professor of Art Kat Tomka received a Rasmuson Foundation Artist Fellowship Award this summer. Kat's $12,000 award in the mature artist category will help her prepare new work and develop a website. You can see a past exhibit of hers, "Breakup," on the Alaska State Museum website

Campus kick-off stats:
• 36 gallons of ice were scooped by Student Activities and VIPs
• 300 hot dogs were grilled and served at the "Avengers" movie by Student Activities.

Alumni note: (green and gold gala)

Carol Wren (M.S. Vocational Education '10) is the keynote speaker at this fall's statewide Alaska Federation of Natives Convention. An Alaska Native of Inupiaq heritage, Carol is the director of Employment and Training Services at Cook Inlet Tribal Council. Read more about Carol and the convention here

Campus kick-off stats:
• We gave UAA students over $3600 in prizes thanks to Alaska Airlines, Best Buy, Whistling Swan Productions, Moose's Tooth, Snow City Cafe, TBA Theatre, the Anchorage Concert Association, Parking Services, and Bosco's!

Research, Innovation and Commercialization notes:

UAA has created and registered Seawolf Holdings, Inc and its subsidiary Seawolf Venture Fund LP that will provide early stage investment for startups and support our entrepreneurial and innovation research focus.

The first analysis of the economic effects of invasive species in Alaska finds that governments and nonprofit groups spent about $29 million from 2007 to 2011, or nearly $6 million a year, to manage those species. Tobias Schwörer of UAA's Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) and Rebekka Federer and Howard Ferren of the Alaska SeaLife Center did the analysis funded by several federal and state agencies.

A provisional patent was filed for UAA Professor LeeAnn Munk's Cu isotope application which is of interest to the mining industry.

Public Square:

UAA hosts the 38th annual conference of the International Association of Aquatic & Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers. The international organization is meeting for the first time in Alaska. (Connect to article in G&G)

Safety Note:

Exercise patience. There are lots of new people on campus, traffic congestion, and bikes on the trails  Give yourself enough time to get to where you are going, walk if you can and help puzzled freshmen and other newcomers.

Program Notes:

UAA Japan Center, and Montgomery Dickson Memorial Project funded by the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, held its inaugural summer institute and continues programming throughout 2012-2013.

2011-2012 UAA Honors College Office of Undergraduate Research awarded students 59 awards totaling more than $126,000. This is more than 65% over last year's total number of students and amount awarded.

The Paralegal Studies Certificate Program at the Justice Center celebrates its 20th anniversary.The Paralegal Studies programs at UAA and UAF are the only American Bar approved programs in Alaska. Read their blog.

PWSCC is offering seven additional degrees, some in partnership with other UA campuses via distance classes. They are Outdoor Leadership Studies, AAS; Bachelor of Science in Natural Science; Bachelor of Art in Psychology; Bachelor of Science in Psychology; Business Administration, AAS; Fisheries Technology, AAS; and Health Sciences, AAS.

Spring 2012 Seawolf men's and women's track and field teams each earned All-Academic team honors, while a program-high 11 student athletes received individual All-Academic status from the U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association. UAA adds men's and women's Indoor Track this year.

Note of Thanks:

Chris Mizelle, (I AM UAA image)director of Facilities, Maintenance and Operations for the last five years of his 28 years at UAA, retires this month. Chief Information Officer and Vice Chancellor Rich Whitney (search through UAA) retires at the end of September after a dozen years at UAA and Mike Halko, (search through UAA) director of Environmental Health and Safety/Risk Management Support retires after five years at UAA. Thank you for all that you've done for UAA! Be safe and enjoy the Labor Day weekend! See you back at UAA on Tuesday.