Alaska Airlines honors UAF alumnus

Submitted by Carla Browning
Phone: (907) 474-7778
10/04/04

Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, has honored chairman emeritus Ronald F. Cosgrave with a $200,000 gift to a University of Alaska Fairbanks scholarship in his name.

"This gift is in recognition of Ron’s many years of service to Alaska Air Group. We are privileged to contribute this amount to his scholarship fund," said Bill Ayer, chairman, president and CEO.

Cosgrave graduated in 1958 with UAF’s first degree in chemical engineering. He was awarded the distinguished alumnus award by the UAF Alumni Association in 1978 and received an honorary doctor of laws degree from UAF in 2003.

Cosgrave established the scholarship in 1978 for engineering students, then expanded it to include chemistry students in 2000. The fund has helped 25 students since 1985 with scholarship awards totaling more than $25,000. Alaska Air Group’s donation will double award amounts for 2006-2007.

Alaska Air Group has been a strong supporter of UAF for many years, providing travel vouchers annually for fund-raising events and other development work. For several years the company offered an Alaska Airlines Travel Scholarship whereby rural students could apply for vouchers in order to travel between home and school during semester breaks. It was a highly successful program, assisting more than 275 students since 1997.

For more information about this and other privately funded scholarships, please visit www.uaf.edu/giving/scholarships/.