Seawolf Nation

In 2012 a small and dedicated group of students, faculty, staff and alumni formed, creating the Chancellor's Task Force on Alumni Relations. Throughout the year the group met to identify ways the university could reach out to the 40,000 plus graduates from UAA and engage them as active alumni. It was a huge task, but in June 2012 the Task Force presented a report to Chancellor Tom Case titled Imperative for Change-the catalyst for a new beginning-and the new Office of Alumni Relations was formed as well as the Alumni Association at UAA.

"UAA is really important to our community and we all have a responsibility to make it a great university," said Heather Cavanaugh, UAA M.B.A. '08 alumna and UAA alumni association board member, in her I AM UAA Alumni Profile earlier this year. "It's been really cool to see the university develop, the partnerships it's created-I want this to be a vibrant university for our state."

So what can you expect in the upcoming year from Alumni Relations? Here's the scoop.

UAA Alumni Association-2.0

One of the main goals of the Task Force was to provide alumni with a sense of pride and opportunities to connect with their classmates as well as the current student body, faculty, staff and the Alaska community. This meant dissolving the former Alumni Association, going back to the drawing board and creating a brand new alumni association for the university. The most significant change of the new association is the termination of dues for membership, create a formal way to recognize chapters and clubs and provide consistent leadership.

"It's my goal to help develop a strong board that fulfills the university's alumni relations mission, and to contribute to a board that is full of leaders in the community that want to be engaged and want to make a difference for students, for alumni and for the university," Cavanaugh says.

A home of one's own

In 2014, UAA alumni will have a place to call home with the opening of the Alumni Center located in the Social Sciences Building between the UAA/APU Consortium Library and the Kaladi Brothers Coffee shop. Currently under construction, this new space on "Main Street UAA" will house the UAA Office of Alumni Relations and the UAA Alumni Association.

"It's going to be an opportunity for students and alumni to interact. It's right in the main core of campus, where all the action is," said Rachel Morse, vice chancellor for Alumni Relations. "Alumni will also be able to host office hours here. Somebody could come from a local industry to talk about what are the employment opportunities and alumni could come right around graduation to talk to people about what you need to do to be a graduate out in the job search."

Alumni Magazine

The release of the first-ever alumni magazine at UAA will focus on the Seawolf news that is important to alumni and the amazing work UAA alumni are doing in our state, across the country and worldwide.

Stay Connected

It's a great day to be a Seawolf and as the university works toward creating a new culture of alumni engagement we invite you to stay connected and be a part of this ongoing conversation and process in what it means to be UAA alumni. As a group you are 40,000 plus strong and we are excited to hear from you and continue to grow this green and gold network.