Cornerstone: Oct. 27, 2023

Friday Focus: Valuing the institution

How do we measure success? When I look at UAF's inspiring vision statement, excellence through transformative experiences, I have the answer (or at least the goal.) We are successful when our students, investors, grantors, donors, and community members have transformative experiences. What is less clear is how to measure this success. The Board of Regents and President Pitney have been working together and with university leaders on what goals and metrics should look like systemwide. That process has caused me to think a lot about how we measure transformative experiences. Continue reading this week's Friday Focus.

Blue and gold graphic with the Governor's Cup Pre-game Rally information provided in the article.

UAFAA to host hockey pre-game rally Nov. 4

The UAF Alumni Association is hosting a pre-game rally for the second game of this year's Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup series. Join us on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 5 p.m. at Latitude 65 Brewing Company. Wear your blue and gold and let's get ready to cheer on the Nanooks! The puck drops in the Carlson Center at 7:07 p.m. Read more on the pre-game rally event for Nanook's Hockey.

A group meditation room arrangement at The Well on the UAF Troth Yeddha' Campus.

The Well reopens to support well-being

The Well has re-opened after being closed for maintenance. The Well is now openly available to anyone with a Polar Express card as a space to help promote happiness and well-being (e.g., yoga, meditation, reading, thankfulness, etc.) on the UAF campus. Learn more about The Well and its activities.

UAF in the News

How Scientists Tracked the Movements of a 17,000-Year-Old Woolly Mammoth (Smithsonian)

Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra presents third annual Halloween Spooktacular (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Students simmer whale bones for science (KCAW)

Awards abound for UAF athletes recently (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Nooks break 15 year streak (KTVF)

What's happening

This week’s Nanook Athletics calendar

Deadlines and reminders

UAF employee in-person Title IX training

Mandatory Title IX training needs to be completed by Oct. 31. This in-person Title IX training in the Wood Center Ballroom (Room 209) on Monday Oct. 30 from noon-1 p.m. will help fulfill the requirement. Ice cream will be provided at the end of the training. Come train with us and complete this yearly employee requirement. Read more on the in-person training opportunity.

Two children in Halloween costumes and two adults look together at museum artifacts on a table. Images of Jack-o'-lanterns are projected on the wall behind them.

Museum to host Halloween celebration

The University of Alaska Museum of the North will host its Halloween at the Museum celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 4 to 6 pm. Read more about the celebration activities.

MFA in effect for VPN, VDI starting Oct. 31

Over the past two years, UAF has been rolling out a security enhancement called Multi-Factor Authentication to better protect user accounts and sensitive university information from malicious cyber-attacks. Today, all employees, including student-employees are required to use MFA. Learn more about the requirement for MFA.

A man wearing an orange life preserver loads a fishing net into to a green inflatable boat on the cobbled shore of a lake surrounded by tundra in yellow fall color.

Finned adventurers nosing into the Arctic

A few years ago, Randy Brown wondered if he might lose $50,000 he had just won as part of the Rachel Carson Award for Exemplary Scientific Accomplishment. Read more on a study of Pacific salmon colonizing rivers of Alaska’s Arctic.