Spring 2024
From the chancellor
In my first Chancellor’s Report on Philanthropy combined with the Aurora magazine, I am appreciative of the opportunity to highlight UAF’s community strengths and share our development priorities. This February, dozens of UAF alumni gathered in Phoenix to cheer on the Nanook hockey team at their annual rivalry games against the Arizona State Sun Devils. A couple weeks later, the UAF Alumni Association made the trip down to Juneau to advocate for UAF priorities to the Legislature, an annual trip that makes a big impact on our university. In this issue of the Aurora, you will read about incredible UAF alumni such as Ryan Muspratt and Kelly Ward, the 2024 recipients of the Distinguished Alumnus and William R. Cashen Service awards, respectively. UAF alumni are remarkably engaged, yet the percentage of those who give is just shy of the national average. This year, it is a UAF priority to transition our incredible alumni energy into giving.
On March 26-28, UAF will celebrate 49 hours of giving for our annual Giving Day. Kicking off UAF’s investment in alumni engagement, my 2024 Giving Day challenge will support the fund that receives the highest number of alumni donations with a giving match. If you are an alum, encourage your friends and former classmates to get involved.
Last year, I was excited that UAF’s number one fundraising priority, the Troth Yeddha’ Indigenous Studies Center, won the Chancellor’s Challenge. Of course, I am always happy when we make progress toward our goal to build the center, and the Troth Yeddha’ Initiative had the most donors by a landslide. However, I was most excited about this challenge because, for me, Giving Day is as much about building relationships as it is raising funds.
Whether you donate $5 or $5,000, your philanthropic relationship with the university is important. It helps us stay connected with you, and it helps show our stakeholders that alumni value their experience at UAF and are engaged in our university’s future. These relationships are the foundation of UAF’s success.
Thanks for choosing UAF.
Dan White
Chancellor
Recent benefactor highlights
Businesses, corporations, individuals and foundations give generously to UAF. This report reflects gifts and donations totaling $25,000 or more to the University of Alaska Fairbanks between Nov. 1, 2023, and Jan. 31, 2024.
BUSINESS AND CORPORATE
AgWest Farm Credit established the AgWest Food System Stability in Alaska Fund and gave to the Cooperative Extension Service 4-H Endowment.
Alaska Warrior gave to the Ocean Peace Research Partnership.
Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation gave to the Bristol Bay Campus Support Fund and the BBC Nursing Program Support Fund.
Coeur Alaska-Kensington Mine gave to the Mining and Petroleum Training Service Support Fund.
ConocoPhillips Alaska gave to the College of Engineering and Mines Support Fund for the 2024 open house and to the UAF Alaska Science Olympiad Support Fund.
McKinley Orthopedics, Sports Medicine & Spine established the McKinley Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Athletic Training Support Fund.
Northrim Bank gave to the UAF CBSM Student Support Fund.
Ocean Peace gave to the Ocean Peace Research Partnership.
The Pollock Conservation Cooperative, composed of Trident Seafoods, Glacier Fish Company and American Seafoods Company, gave to the Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center Endowment.
Teck Resources Alaska gave to the GeoFORCE Alaska Support Fund.
Usibelli Coal Mine established the Usibelli Coal Mine UAF Ski Trail Development Fund.
INDIVIDUAL
An anonymous donor gave to the Pat and Ken Weaver Family Scholarship.
An anonymous donor gave to the Northern Gulf of Alaska Applied Research Fund.
Catherine F. Cahill gave to the Usibelli Coal Mine Drone Advancement Endowed Scholarship, UAF Annual Fund, ACUASI General Support Fund and the Geophysical Institute Endowment.
Dorothy and Michael Doyle gave to the John M. Murphy Memorial Geology Scholarship.
Susan M. Henrichs gave to the UAF Rural Student Support Services Scholarship and the UAF Faculty and Staff Excellence Endowment.
Steve Holmberg ’89 gave to the Steve and Cynthia Holmberg Choral Director Endowment.
Glenn Potts gave to the College Rotary Scholarship.
Carole Reeve gave to the Richard D. Reeve Scholarship in honor of Lt. Col. Alanson Bartholomew.
Carol Swarts established the Professor Kelly Drew Physical Sciences Endowed Scholarship.
Mary “Peggy” Swartz established the Gerard and Peggy Swartz Biology Endowed Scholarship.
FOUNDATION AND ASSOCIATION
The Jim and Vicki Jansen Foundation established the UAF Lynden Diesel and Heavy Equipment Certificate Scholarship.
The Christopher Johnson McCandless Memorial Foundation gave to the Bus 142 Support Fund.