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Virtual Nanook Rendezvous
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Join us for a whole week of virtual activities starting July 13, 2020. Connect with UAF students and staff. Learn about interesting programs and some of our local alumni-owned businesses. Fun for your whole family, no matter where you are in #NanookNation.
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- Motivation Monday — Work out with UAF Athletics and meet student athletes.
- Treasure Hunt Tuesday — Take part in a Nanook scavenger hunt to find the #blueandgold in your neighborhood.
- Garden Walk Wednesday — Join us live for a virtual tour of the Georgeson Botanical Garden on the UAF campus and a chance to ask questions.
- Thankful Thursday — Use the hashtag #nicenooks and do something nice for a neighbor: Pick up trash, make a donation or volunteer for a good cause.
- Fairbanks Friday — Visit local businesses who are proud supporters of #NanookNation. Pick up a sticker. Order a Nanook Nation-themed menu item.
| Stay tuned for more information, and mark your calendars for our first-ever virtual Nanook Rendezvous the week of July 13-18. |
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UAFAA Benefactor Fund to support student groups
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UAF sophomore Skyler Smith talks about the importance of the UAFAA Benefactor Fund to students. Photo by Millard Arnold V
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We hope you will make a contribution today to help us support student organizations at UAF as they return to campus in the fall.
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The UAFAA Benefactor Fund was established by the UAF Alumni Association in 1998 to encourage alumni to participate in an annual giving program that directly supports the university. It’s a way for our alumni and supporters to work together to make an impact in the lives of today’s students.
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With the funds raised in this campaign, the UAFAA board of directors will award grants to help student groups adjust to a quickly changing landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds will support projects that identify specific needs and improve campus opportunities for current students.
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New UAF alumni directory project
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For the first time in almost a decade, the UAF Alumni Association is creating an updated alumni directory.
We are working with a third-party vendor called PCI. They are calling, emailing and sending postcards. Their goal is to have a conversation with as many alumni as possible to confirm the accuracy of your data and fill in any information gaps.
Up-to-date alumni information is essential for developing career mentoring programs to benefit our students and alumni. We appreciate your participation and look forward to hearing from you.
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Thanks in advance for your support. And gooooo Nooks! |
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We are excited to announce Nanook Network, an online platform for alumni, staff, students and friends. Use it to connect with others, get event information, find UAF jobs and more. Stay connected to UAF. Meet up with your classmates and learn about mentoring opportunities.
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| NANOOK NETWORK: A place for #NanookNation to gather! |
- RECONNECT with classmates.
- BECOME A MENTOR to students and alumni.
- NETWORK for career opportunities.
| All students, parents, friends and fans of UAF are welcome. Join now! |
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UAFAA supports esports
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The UAF Esports Club has hosted a variety of events on campus, as shown in this archival UAF photo by JR Ancheta.
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The University of Alaska Fairbanks is creating a new esports center on campus with help from the UAF Alumni Association. At its spring meeting, the UAFAA board of directors voted to donate $50,000 to the program.
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Esports are competitive events where teams play the same popular video games that many people play at home. Thanks to streaming services like Twitch and YouTube, professional gamers have become celebrities, building legitimate fanbases and earning lucrative sponsorships. And it's more than playing video games! Esports connect people and make the world a little smaller. They promote diversity and inclusion, build self-confidence and cultivate soft skills such as teamwork, problem-solving and empathy.
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Cindy Wright, UAFAA president, said the alumni association is proud to declare its commitment to the UAF esports program. “The esports industry is rapidly expanding, and this program presents an incredibly exciting future for our students, community and alumni.”
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UAF plans to become the statewide hub for esports, a move that will help to modernize the student experience. The university recently hired its first UAF esports director and plans to open the esports center in spring 2021. Last year, the university debuted the Introduction to Esports business class, taught by alum and adjunct professor Cricket Carlson.
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When she found out that there was a budding program in game development at UAF, Carlson said she could remember longing for someone to mentor her or to give her exposure to the industry. “If there are any students out there who are like me, I want to make sure that we’re creating opportunities for them now,” she said.
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UAF alumni profiles
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Roaming around town to connect with local goodness
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Soldier, student, business owner — Erica Moeller really has done it all. Her latest endeavor, a mobile food market, has become a Fairbanks favorite.
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Her company, The Roaming Root, sells only Alaska-made or -grown food from a vintage bus. Moeller’s goal is to increase the connection between those who grow or make our food and those of us who eat it. Even during a crisis, Moeller said, she wants to connect her customers to “local goodness.”
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After ending her military career in August 2013, Moeller wanted to pursue something different. She knew that the transition to civilian life would be challenging, so she turned to the university for support.
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“The Army was my only ‘adult’ employer. It was all I knew. I didn’t have too many plans after graduation besides just getting there and trying to learn to be a civilian along the way.”
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| Moeller chose UAF because Fairbanks felt like home to her. “I realized that I already had an established group of friends and a home and community here,” she said. “So I decided to stay.” |
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Photo by Elizabeth Talbot
UAF alumna Erica Moeller shows some of the wares at The Roaming Root, her bus-based retail outlet for local products. |
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There were hiccups along the way. Balancing things like how much backstock to keep and making sure supply and demand meet up were challenging for Moeller in the beginning, but she said that it’s been a smooth and exciting ride.
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“It’s a cliché, but you have to do what you love,” Moeller said.
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“Do something that makes you want to go to work in the morning. I left a job with the government to do this, taking a huge pay cut in the process, but have never felt more blessed.”
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Alumni class notes and the e-Aurora
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Let us know what you are up to! Send us photos of your latest accomplishments, news of your career or details about your next steps. We are currently gathering photos, snippets and stories for the next edition of the online Aurora magazine.
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A message from UAFAA's past president
| Dear Fellow Alumni and Friends, |
| For the past five years, I have served on the UAF Alumni Association board, including as its president for the last three years. Quite a lot has occurred in that time and I would like to take this opportunity to update the community on some of our accomplishments. |
| The UAF Alumni Association has grown. With that growth comes an aspiration to make a significant impact on improving student life on campus and elsewhere. We also aim to make meaningful gifts through the UAFAA Benefactor Fund to forward the mission of the university. |
| Our new board president is Cindy Wright '88. I look forward to her wise guidance and stewardship in taking UAFAA forward. Our alumni association is in good hands. |
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The benefits of UAFAA membership
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Membership in your UAF Alumni Association helps support student scholarships, alumni outreach, programs like Nanook Network, events such as the Blue and Gold Celebration and Grad Bash, and many other projects.
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| UAF alumni membership rates: |
| One-year membership = $50 |
| Three-year membership = $140 |
| Lifetime membership = $1,000 |
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| As a UAFAA member, you are also eligible for discounts on your Geico insurance policy. You get savings, and the alumni association earns rewards. Visit them at geico.com/alum/uafaa to find out how much you can save. |
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Members also have access to Polar Perks, which provide discounts and deals at restaurants and businesses all over the country. Check it out at UAFAA Polar Perks. Another deal offered to UAFAA members is the discount on admission to the UAF Student Recreation Center. Check out the rates for members at the SRC's website. Once you have your membership card, you also have access to campus libraries, career services and all the fun the Wood Center has to offer.
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Upcoming events — save the dates
| Events are looking a little different this summer at UAF, but there are still many ways to stay connected: |
- Summer 2020, free events from UAF Summer Sessions and Lifelong Learning. This summer’s lectures and concerts will be broadcast on KUAC and available online.
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| Healthy Living lecture series at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, featuring experts and specialists discussing medical issues. |
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| Discover Alaska lecture series at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, providing a view of Alaska through the eyes of experts. |
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| Music in the Garden at 7 p.m. on Thursdays. Filmed at UAF’s Georgeson Botanical Garden, the concerts feature a variety of Alaska musicians. |
- July 8, UA Museum of the North reopens.
- July 13-18, UAFAA hosts the Nanook Rendezvous virtual alumni reunion.
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Questions or comments? Please contact us at:
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UAF Alumni Association
201 Constitution Hall
P.O. Box 750126
Fairbanks, AK 99775-0126 |
Phone: (907) 474-7081
Fax: (907) 474-6712 |
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