Alaska is a magnificent place, deserving of an equally magnificent university. There is no other university like UAF. We are America's arctic university, and as a Land, Sea and Space Grant institution, we have an astonishing range of responsibilities to educate our students, develop the state's workforce, reach out to Alaskans through our community campuses and conduct important and relevant research. We have incredible breadth, depth and diversity, and we are committed to being even better than we are--to being the university Alaska must have as it prepares for its second 50 years of statehood.

I have identified six pathways to success on which the university must focus to retain our stature as Alaska's preeminent teaching and research university: ensuring student success; exemplifying quality in everything we do; increasing enrollment, particularly in upper-division and graduate programs; expanding innovative research; accelerating philanthropic giving; and fostering statewide economic development.

Within this year's Ad Summum report, you will find stories of individuals and programs that highlight each of these pathways to success. As these stories demonstrate, the work we do comes from the creativity and enthusiasm of the people who make us great.