Friday Focus: It’s a good time to be a Nanook!

Left to Right: Scott Roselius, Samara Taber and Theresa Bakker at the UAF alumni pre-game event in Tempe, Arizona.
Left to Right: Scott Roselius, Samara Taber and Theresa Bakker at the UAF alumni pre-game event in Tempe, Arizona.

March 3, 2023

— By Samara Taber, executive director of university advancement

February has been a tremendous month, full of many UAF engagement opportunities and the entire advancement team is going full steam ahead! 

The week of Valentine’s Day, we ran our second annual Show your Love campaign. This campaign aims to gather UAF love stories. I was pleased to hear from so many of our recent graduates on why they chose UAF, how they fell in love with their discipline and for some, met their future partner or spouse. If you didn’t get a chance to submit your story, it’s not too late!  

Giving Day was a tremendous success, and I am proud to announce that of the $1.3 million raised system-wide in the 49 hours for Alaska campaign, over 800 UAF donors generously gave $834,244 to UAF students and programs. A heartfelt shoutout to Theresa Bakker, UAF director of alumni relations and the entire advancement team, as well as the many, many champions throughout UAF and the state who rallied together to spread the word and build support for Giving Day. The Troth Yeddha’ Indigenous Studies Center initiative received the most support in terms of number of donations, surpassing the total number of donors ever to that project. It won the vote with your gift challenge from Chancellor White by a landslide! Your gifts make a meaningful difference in the lives of our community and help us continue to provide transformative experiences for our students. Thank you.

But Giving Day was only the beginning of an exciting weekend. UAF, in partnership with the Alaska Nanook Hockey Alumni Association hosted a series of events in Tempe, Arizona to coincide with the Nanooks vs. Sun Devils match up in the ASU Mullett arena. The stadium was a sea of blue and gold and the cheers for UAF were loud and proud. Last weekend was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends and celebrate the university's longstanding tradition of athletic excellence. Oh and P.S., the Nanooks won both games, elevating the team to No. 12 ranked in the PairWise rankings.

As executive director for University Advancement, it is my privilege to witness the incredible impact of your support and engagement firsthand. Your generosity and commitment to our university make it possible for us to achieve our goals and continue to provide our students with transformative experiences at Alaska’s flagship research university. 

I would like to extend my sincere thank you to everyone who participated in Giving Day and the Show Your Love campaign and those who were able to join us at the Nanook hockey games in Arizona and pre- and post-game events. Your support and enthusiasm are truly inspiring, and we are grateful for your continued dedication to our university. Go 'Nooks!

Friday Focus is written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week.