The board of regents approved a base 7 percent tuition increase starting for fall 2007 semester proposed by President Hamilton. The board also approved a master's degree program in rural development at UAF, the College of Rural and Community Development Campus Master Plans, and provided project approval for a $5.7 million upgrade to the UAF Arctic Health Research Building and a $4 million renovation of the Tanana Valley Campus Center. The board next meets Nov. 1 in Anchorage for budget approval. For more information visit www.alaska.edu/bor/.

Jonah Lee, CEM, was invited by the president of National Central University, Republic of China, to present The Mechanics of Vehicle-Ground Interface and to visit NCU research institutes in August 2006.

Jerry McBeath, CLA, was appointed by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars to the Fulbright review committee for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Provost Paul Reichardt was honored by the University of the Arctic for his contributions to the circumpolar organization, which includes UAF and more than 100 universities and other institutions. Reichardt was honored during the Helge Ingstad Memorial Symposium on Arctic Change held at UAF Sept. 8-9.

The UAF Alumni Association honors Jyotsna "Jo" Heckman as the 2006 distinguished alumna. Heckman is president of Denali State Bank and became the first woman bank president and chief executive officer in the state in 2003. She graduated from UAF with a bachelor's degree in 1979 and earned her master's in 1985.

Rebecca Lindsey has accepted the position of annual giving director with the Development Office. Lindsey previously worked at GI as the Science Education Outreach Network coordinator.

Gerhard Kramm, GI, and Nicole Mölders, GI and CNSM, had their article, Influence of Wildfire Induced Land-Cover Changes on Clouds and Precipitation in Interior Alaska, accepted by the journal Atmospheric Research.

KUAC's fall fund-raiser takes place Oct. 14-22. Promote your organization and support public broadcasting; volunteer to answer phones and take pledges. For more information contact 1890 or volunteer@kuac.org.

The United Way Campaign kicks off Oct. 13. Contact Chris Bennett at 2800 or fncmb2@uaf.edu.

Kayt Sunwood has been appointed as the new UAF Women's Center manager. Sunwood worked with the Math in a Cultural Context project in the education department.

The UA Aurora Alliance, a new university-wide organization for LGBT and allied faculty and staff, has formed. For more information contact co-chairs Sine Anahita at sine.anahita@uaf.edu or Tim Stallard at tim.stallard@uaf.edu.

Five IARC scientists participated in the Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational System cruise that included the Arctic Expedition for K-12 Teachers. The expedition gave K-12 teachers hands-on field experience as they helped scientists collect data.

.

The UA Museum of the North is hosting the special exhibit POLARities Sept. 22-Oct. 29. The exhibit showcases recent works by a selection of Alaska artists exploring the connection between science and technology and the artists' inspiration and creative processes. The museum has changed to winter hours: weekdays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and weekends from noon-5 p.m. For more information call 7505 or visit www.uaf.edu/museum/.

The UAF LIFE program presents Strengthen Muscles That Support Your Spine, Wednesdays from 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the SRC. The cost is $40 for the semester or $3 per class. SRC membership or day pass is required. For more information call 6814.

UAF is hosting the AAAS Arctic Division Conference Oct. 2-4 at the Westmark Hotel. More than 200 scientists are expected to attend. A special session on the International Polar Year will be held. For more information visit http://arctic.aaas.org/.

Career Services and CEM are hosting Engineering Career Week Oct. 2-6. Engineering firms will visit campus to recruit students for internships and full-time employment. For more information contact Career Services at 7596 or fycsc@uaf.edu or visit www.uaf.edu/career/eventshome.html.

A study-abroad fair, hosted by the Office of International Programs, takes place Oct. 2-3 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in Wood Center. UAF students will be able to meet with representatives from study-abroad partners and universities. For more information call 7192.

The Academic Advising Center is hosting a series of skill workshops including Time Management Oct. 3, Unofficial Degree Evaluation Oct. 10 and Note Taking Oct. 17. All workshops are held in Gruening 409 at 1:05 p.m. For more information or to register visit www.uaf.edu/advising/.

The Student Organizations Fair, hosted by the Leadership Program, takes place Oct. 4 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in Wood Center. For more information contact 1170 or studentorgs@uaf.edu.

The Student Drama Association presents Winter Shorts Oct. 6 and 7 at 8:15 p.m. and Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. in the Lee H. Salisbury Theatre. Tickets are available only at the door with cash or check. A different performance from the Ground Squirrel Improv Comedy Troupe and Butoh Dance will be featured each night.

The UAF Staff Council is holding a public meeting Oct. 13 at 9 a.m. in the Wood Center Carol Brown Ballroom. For more information contact 7056 or fystaff@uaf.edu.

Theatre UAF presents Oleanna by David Mamet, Oct. 20, 21, 27 and 28 at 8:15 p.m. and Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. in the Salisbury Theatre. For more information visit www.uaf.edu/theatre/.

The ninth annual Farthest North Forest Sports Festival takes place Oct. 7 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Events kick off in the farm fields across from the Georgeson Botanical Garden.

The Leadership Program is offering training for student organization officers, treasurers and advisors beginning Oct. 9. For more information contact 1170 or studentorgs@uaf.edu.

CNSM presents the Sydney Chapman Chair Seminars Oct. 10 from 3:30-5 p.m. in Elvey Auditorium with Eddy Carmack's Rivers, Lakes and Northern Seas: A Perspective, and Dave Scholl's Humongous Deposits of Frozen Methane in the Bering Sea: Science and Resource Implications. For more information call 7608.

The Leadership Program is sponsoring a Leadership Lunch Oct. 12 from 1-2 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge. Reservations are required. For more information call 1170 or e-mail leadership@uaf.edu.

Accounting Week, hosted by Career Services, takes place Oct. 16-20. For more information contact Career Services at 7596 or fycsc@uaf.edu or visit www.uaf.edu/career/eventshome.html.

Visit UAF's online calendar at www.uaf.edu/events/ for information on UAF events or to publicize an event.

Nanook volleyball takes on Saint Martin's Oct. 5, Western Oregon Oct. 7 and Western Washington Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Patty Center Gym. For more information visit www.alaskananooks.com.

The UAF swim team's Blue/Gold meet takes place Oct. 7 at noon. The team then faces Seattle University in the first home meets of the season Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. and Oct. 14 at 11 a.m. For more information call 5977.

Nanook hockey faces off against Air Force in the first home games of the season Oct. 13-14. The team next takes on UAA in the Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup Oct. 20-21. All games begin at 7:05 p.m. in the Carlson Center.

Oct. 13, 2006: All application materials and fees for December 2006 graduation are due. Applications can be found at www.uaf.edu/reg/forms/. For more information call 7523.

Oct. 27, 2006: The last day for student- and faculty-initiated withdrawals, where a W grade appears on the academic record.

Nov. 1, 2006: All proposal materials for the Angus Gavin Migratory Bird Research Grant 2007 field season are due. Any UA faculty member or graduate student may submit proposals for the grant. For more information visit www.alaska.edu/uafound/.

Dec. 1, 2006: Nominations for the Edith R. Bullock Prize for Excellence are due. For more information visit www.alaska.edu/uafound/.

In 1998 as I prepared to leave Fairbanks, my military assignment complete, I told everyone who would listen that I would be back. Over the years I visited often, laid out plans for my return and told skeptical listeners that Alaska would be my home once I stopped moving around. When UAF advertised the VCAS job, I happened to have just decided it was time. The result is today I get to tell you how happy I am to be here, and what an honor it is to be a part of this great institution.

Administrative Services is a vitally important organization, since it affects every person who lives at, works at or in any way interacts with UAF. Since mostly you think in terms of educating, being educated or doing research here, you may well not think about us at all. Yet, regardless what you do here, your very first step on our campus is enabled by Administrative Services--after all, we construct and maintain the sidewalks, roads, signs and buildings. If you pay or receive funds here, we're taking care of that money. If you work here, we managed your hiring and all your employee benefits and actions. If you find yourself in the middle of an emergency on campus, our police and fire departments will help you out.

So we enable the mission of UAF-and if we do it really well, most of it will be invisible to you. What is visible, we hope to make work so well that you tell us it's easy to work with us. That's a stretch goal, more in some areas than others, but that's what I'll be working on, along with finding my way around campus, getting to know everyone and working on all the other issues that need attention.

Thanks for the warm welcome, it's great to be here, and it will be great fun to be part of the team taking UAF to the next level!