October 2009

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

More than 700 people came to help celebrate the grand opening of the new ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building. Thanks to a diligent planning committee and dedicated volunteers, our community saw how UAA is taking science education and research to a new level. From science demonstrations to videos to a wonderful planetarium show, community members experienced a side of UAA that many have never before seen. The opening gave us a great opportunity to show the important work that faculty, students and staff are doing at UAA -- work that is the basis of Alaska's future progress.

 

 

A terrific tie-in to the opening of CPISB and a wonderful theatre experience, "Terra Nova" played on UAA's mainstage this month. I hope you had a chance to catch this great show.

Listen to the "Terra Nova: a conversation with director Tom Skore" podcast here.

 

Earlier this month I traveled to Fairbanks and joined UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers and UAS Chancellor John Pugh at a meeting of the Alaska State Legislature's Senate Finance Committee. This working session gave us an opportunity to talk with legislators about what we are accomplishing at the University of Alaska.

 

 

We kicked off Alaska Native/Native American Heritage Month with dancing, a Native dress review and lots of delicious Native foods. I hope that you will take time to go to some of the wonderful events planned for throughout November including films, food, dancing, lectures, brown bag lunches and many more opportunities to "Share the Spirit."

 

 

Did you know?

• In support of UAA's commitment to sustainability, paper versions of the fall and spring class schedules will no longer be printed after the spring 2010 semester.
  
  
• By not printing class schedule books, UAA will reduce its consumption of printed-paper by 3,000,000 sheets a year and save 38 trees.
  
  
• AKSourceLink won the Excellence in Partnership Development award at the University Economic Development Association Summit in San Antonio, Texas. AKSourceLink links Alaska small businesses to programs and information that will help them succeed.
  
  
• Natalie Hale, a first-year student in the Alaska WWAMI Biomedical program, represented Alaska as part of a Doctors for America meeting at the White House and also meeting with Kathleen Sibelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, to support health care reform based on affordable coverage, expanded access to care, high quality care, and practice environments that allow physicians focus on patient care. Thank you Natalie for your commitment to advocating on behalf of doctors and their patients!
  
  
• This month we inducted 57 new members into UAA's most prestigious university-wide academic honor society: Phi Kappa Phi. Those inducted include 32 last term juniors and seniors who have a GPA of 3.8 or above. In addition 25 graduate students with 18 or more credits and a GPA of 3.9 were inducted. Congratulations to you all.

In Seawolf Athletics kudos to:

• UAA Women's Volleyball team moved up two spots to No. 5 in the latest NCAA Div. II West Region rankings, released October 28.
  
  
• UAA's junior Marko Cheseto repeated as the GNAC's male individual winner, at the ninth annual Great Northwest Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships. Cheseto is the first male to win two GNAC individual titles.
  
  
• Women's Cross Country team is No. 5 in the U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association poll for the fifth straight week. The team won UAA's first-ever women's conference team title at the GNAC Championships.
  
  
• The league's preseason coaches' poll picked UAA Womens' Basketball to repeat their GNAC victory this year.

Go Seawolves!

As always thank you for all you do for UAA!

Sincerely,