Stories

Virtual celebration raises more than $130,000

Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching Award recipient Denise Thorsen, at right, donates her award’s $10,000 prize to the UAF Alaska Space Grant Program. Thorsen directs the program. At left is Lisa Herbert, Usibelli Coal Mine vice president of public relations. UAF photo by Leif Van Cise.
Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching Award recipient Denise Thorsen, at right, donates her award ’s $10,000 prize to the UAF Alaska Space Grant Program. Thorsen directs the program. At left is Lisa Herbert, Usibelli Coal Mine vice president of public relations. UAF photo by Leif Van Cise.

By Theresa Bakker

In late February 2021, UAF’s Blue and Gold Celebration, presented by Kinross Fort Knox, went virtual!

Chancellor Dan White and Marisa Sharrah ’01 hosted the online 2021 Blue and Gold Celebration.
Chancellor Dan White and Marisa Sharrah ’01 hosted the online 2021 Blue and Gold Celebration.

Chancellor Dan White and and Marisa Sharrah ’01 hosted the unique online event as a way to bring our community together and honor traditions.

With safety measures in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the university hosted a virtual hangout featuring a trivia contest and prizes, along with guest appearances by several outstanding UAF students. That was followed by a 30-minute program honoring our faculty and alumni.

Each guest also received a celebration box in the mail with plenty of blue and gold bling, plus special gifts provided by our sponsors. In a nod to these strange times, a fancy masquerade mask provided a keepsake from this one-of-a-kind event.

In the end, members of Nanook Nation raised more than $130,000 to support UAF students and the Nanook Commitment, a four-year, need-based scholarship program. At least 50 people made a gift on a special fundraising page, with more than $45,000 raised from guests from 10 different states.

Chancellor White said that the university has faced many challenges over the years and will get through this one, too.

University of Alaska Regent John Davies ’70, ’75 and his spouse, Linda Schandelmeier ’71, shared this selfie during the celebration. Photo courtesy of John Davies and Linda Schandelmeier.
University of Alaska Regent John Davies ’70, ’75 and his spouse, Linda Schandelmeier ’71, shared this selfie during the celebration. Photo courtesy of John Davies and Linda Schandelmeier.

“We continue to be awed by the stories of our students and their extraordinary determination during this pandemic,” he said. “This new need-based scholarship provides vital support for students. I am proud of our efforts to bridge a gap that’s been recognized as a need for some time.”

The event also featured an appearance from Scott Hansen '19, who was commissioned by UAF to compose the Centennial Overture and who is now completing his master’s in musical composition. He expressed appreciation for his mentor, Eduard Zilberkant, the recipient of this year’s Emil Usibelli Distinguished Service Award.

The strength and resilience of our university is due to the dedication and expertise of our faculty. Emil Usibelli knew this, and the Usibelli Coal Mine established the prestigious award program in his honor to recognize annually three individuals who display extraordinary dedication and excellence in teaching, research and public service. This year’s trio was honored at the Blue and Gold Celebration.

Donald “Skip” Walker received the award for research.

During the 2021 celebration, Tatiana Agnew ’20 shared the story of how the Student Support Fund, the focus of the 2020 event, helped her graduate in December of that year. Photo courtesy of Tatiana Agnew.
During the 2021 celebration, Tatiana Agnew ’20 shared the story of how the Student Support Fund, the focus of the 2020 event, helped her graduate in December of that year. Photo courtesy of Tatiana Agnew.

Denise Thorsen, recipient of the teaching award, donated the accompanying $10,000 to the Alaska Space Grant Program.

Thorsen directs the program at UAF and is a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Her research focuses on radar remote sensing and the design of small satellites and radar systems.

“COVID limited the number of opportunities available to students [in 2020],” Thorsen wrote in the ASGP annual newsletter, “and yet we were still able to connect five students with mentors to work on undergraduate research, six students with NASA internships and another six with Alaska industry internships. Most of these students worked with their mentors remotely.”

Last year, many Blue and Gold Celebration contributions went to the Student Support Fund, an emergency reserve that was put to immediate use during the COVID pandemic. Tatiana Agnew ’20 a student helped by the fund, was the featured speaker at this year’s event. She told the audience that because of support from our donors she was able to focus on what was most important — her education.

The UAF Alumni Association made a $10,000 donation to the Nanook Commitment at this year’s event. The organization also presented its annual awards to two inspiring alumni. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kyle Hopkins ’00 received the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Russ Knapp ’69, a longtime supporter of the Alaska Nanooks, received the William R. Cashen Service Award.

Their stories were a reminder of how far UAF has come and how alumni are the best examples of the achievements of our world-class institution.