Forrest Karr named interim UAF director of athletics

Submitted by Dave Geringer
Phone: (907) 474-6807
07/22/05

The NCAA Compliance Coordinator at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Forrest Karr, has been named interim Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation.

Karr will serve as interim director while the university conducts a search to replace Dr. Cory Schwartz, who resigned recently after serving for two and a half years...

"I am pleased that Forrest has agreed to serve as interim director and I have complete confidence that he’ll do a good job during the transition period as we undertake a search for a new athletic director," said Jake Poole, vice chancellor for University Advancement and Community Engagement.

A member of the Nanook staff since August, 2004, Karr joined UAF after graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School in May, 2004. During the past academic year, he has coordinated all NCAA compliance activities for the department, while also serving as UAF’s Athletic Academic Coordinator.

Karr has worked for the National Collegiate Athletic Association, conducting research and writing memoranda covering topics such as drug-testing protocol revisions, trademark infringements and web site privacy policies. He also worked with outside counsel defending NCAA academic standards for incoming freshmen. Karr has experience as a law clerk, having worked for a private firm, Garvey & Stoddard, S.C. and is a member of the Wisconsin State Bar.

Karr played hockey for four years at the University of Notre Dame. A four-year letter-winner for the Fighting Irish, Karr starred as a senior, earning Most Valuable Player honors. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration for Finance and Business Economics.

Karr was named a second team GTE/College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-American, and also was named to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s All-Academic Team.

A certified strength and conditioning specialist, Karr has twice participated in the Chicago Marathon, once in the Big Sur Marathon, and he once bicycled from Juarez, Mexico to just north of Glacier National Park in Alberta.

"I’m excited for the opportunity that Vice Chancellor (Jake) Poole has given me," said Karr. "I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead. We all appreciate the things that Cory has done to get us to a point where we’re competitive in all of our sports. We have a great staff that supports each other. The department will take it to the next level by being a team, and by working with the community. We want to continue to graduate our student-athletes and be a national leader in graduation rates. We will adhere to the letter and the spirit of the NCAA rules, and continue to maintain our national competitiveness while striving to win national championships every year."