Northwest campus director named

Submitted by Carla Browning
Phone: (907) 474-7778
12/22/03

Gary Smith has been named as the new director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Northwest Campus in Nome. Smith is currently the dean of Colorado Mountain College’s Timberline Campus in Leadville. Before that he was dean of humanities, social sciences and fine arts at San Juan College in New Mexico.

Smith has previously worked as an educator in Alaska as director for the Rural Alaska Native Adult Program and an associate professor of social sciences at Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage. Smith also served as dean of the Arctic Sivunmun Ilisagvik College in Barrow.

"The search committee and the staff and faculty at Northwest Campus are looking forward to Dr. Smith’s arrival," said Peggy Wood, acting director of Northwest Campus." "We feel fortunate to have him joining us shortly after the New Year."

Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Northern Arizona University in 1972, his master’s of social work from the University of Utah in 1974 and his Ph.D. in sociology and social work from the Virginia Commonwealth University in 1986.

"I really look forward to serving the students, faculty and staff and working with the entire community served by the Northwest Campus in providing access to the highest quality of learning opportunities," said Smith.

Smith will officially take the reins from Peggy Wood Jan. 26, 2004. Wood has been the acting director of the Northwest Campus since 2002, just shortly after announcing her retirement from the Bristol Bay Campus in Dillingham where she had served as the director since 1987.

CONTACT: Carla Browning, UAF Public Information Officer at (907) 474-7778 or e-mail carla.browning@uaf.edu.