The Hutchison Institute of Technology opened in fall 2004 as a partnership between the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District and UAF's Community and Technical College. The facility houses a complete vocational-oriented high school and CTC programs in aviation maintenance, culinary arts, drafting, process technology, diesel/heavy equipment, professional piloting and welding.

The building is named for James T. Hutchison, who was a master craftsman and worked as an aircraft mechanic for 40 years. Hutchison was recognized in 1972 as the Federal Aviation Administration’s Mechanic of the Year. He originally came to Alaska with the U.S. Army. In 1929, he began his aircraft maintenance and repair career by working for Carl Ben Eielson’s Alaska Airways, where he learned how to work on a variety of aircraft and earned a reputation for meticulous work, often forging new parts or adapting replacements.