Friday Focus: Nanook Nation shows up for our students

Dec. 8, 2023

— By Theresa Bakker, interim executive director of university advancement

Over the years, I have held a variety of jobs at UAF. All of them have been rooted in telling stories that inform, educate and connect our audience with the transformative work here. Now, as the interim executive director of university advancement, I lead a team that inspires people in support of a common cause. 

On Nov. 28, UAF celebrated Giving Tuesday with a one-day campaign inviting contributions to the Student Support Fund. We set a goal of 23 gifts in honor of the year. By the end of the day, 35 donors helped unlock a generous challenge to raise $14,255 to support students in their most critical time of need. This is only possible because of our strong community of alumni, faculty and staff. Over and over, Nanook Nation shows up for our students. 

This project was the result of our entire advancement team working together. We introduced alumni who benefitted from the fund as students. And the event connected us with Linda Biggar, who has been a consistent donor to the fund since it was established. Her sister, Norma Biggar, who passed away in 2016, graduated from UAF in 1974. Linda sponsored the challenge because she likes the idea of helping students who might not otherwise stay in school.

Our generous supporters are critical to our success at UAF. Donors like Linda inspire students to pursue their goals. They support our enrollment strategy by funding scholarships that improve recruitment, retention and graduation rates. Our benefactors are helping to create a legacy for the next generation of Alaskans.

This past year has been a time of transition for the UAF university advancement team. Half of us are new to the university, while the rest bring almost a century of UAF experience to our roles. Together, we have deep roots in our areas of expertise: communications, events, marketing, storytelling and philanthropy. 

This week we welcomed a familiar face with the return of Kate Ripley to UAF. She has accepted the position of interim development director, bringing a wealth of experience and relationships to the team. Her return adds another chapter to our story of growth and collaboration. 

When Kate left UAF three years ago, our unit was something new, combining the offices of alumni, development and university relations. In the meantime, we’ve worked together to improve upon our processes and even find new ways to support the university’s vision of excellence through transformative experiences.

Giving Tuesday was a new addition to our annual giving program. We've also expanded our alumni events, working with Athletics to host celebrations in the communities where student athletes compete. In the fall, we worked with Coach Erik Largen and the hockey team for our first Give-A-Thon. 

This year, UAF launched a mid-level giving program, creating a plan to connect with the hundreds of generous supporters who give annually. This team has also streamlined the Aurora magazine to include stories about philanthropy and other new features. And we consolidated our mascot program, adopting and caring for "Nook."

I am so grateful to all those who have come before us, serving as part of the advancement team in pursuit of telling UAF’s stories and connecting supporters with their areas of interest. My hope is that everyone reading this knows at least one member of UAF University Advancement. If that’s not the case, please reach out so we can connect.

It takes all of us to tell the UAF story.

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