Provost Paul Reichardt received the 2007 Edith R. Bullock Prize for Excellence in service to UA. Reichardt was selected from a field of 13 nominees. He began his career at UAF as an assistant professor in 1972 and has served as provost since 1998.
Susan Henrichs, dean of the Graduate School, has been named provost of UAF. Henrichs will succeed Provost Reichardt when he retires and will officially take over July 1. Henrichs came to UAF in 1982 and has served as dean of the Graduate School and vice provost since 2003.
President Hamilton and Chancellor Jones have named an advisory group of university leaders to guide the HR redesign efforts at statewide and UAF. The Senior Advisory Group will provide input and feedback to transition manager John Duhamel. Regular updates will be provided at www.alaska.edu/hr/redesign/.
The Rasmuson Library, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District and the Noel Wien Library are renewing the North Star Libraries Cooperative Agreement. Chancellor Jones and Dean of Libraries James Huesmann, along with Mayor Whitaker and Superintendent Shortt, will sign the agreement April 10 in the mayor's office in celebration of National Library Week.
Tim Stickel, registrar, has been named associate vice chancellor for enrollment services. Stickel assumes his new duties April 2 and will continue to serve as registrar on a part-time basis through May 13.
Pramod Karulkar, Abhijit Biswas, Shiva Hullavarad and Ilker Buyer, all OEM, presented three papers at the 2007 Government Microelectronics Technology Conference held March 19-22 in Florida.
Nicole Mölders, CNSM, was invited to participate in the Connecting Geoscience Departments to the Future of Science: New Structures for Research and Curriculum workshop being held in April at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.
Financial Aid is hosting the 4th annual I'm Going to College program April 19-20 for elementary school students. Volunteers are needed to help stuff backpacks and escort participants to class, lunch and help with a tour of campus. If you are interested in helping out contact Jackie at fnjla@uaf.edu or Ann at fnamh4@uaf.edu.
The UA IPY Young Researchers' Network is hosting Science Café, a series of informal presentations and discussions held at locations throughout Fairbanks during IPY, and is looking for speakers to share their perspectives. For more information contact Chris at chris.petrich@gi.alaska.edu or visit www.uaf.edu/ipy/.
The Fairbanks Symphony Association will hold a Celebration of Life in honor of Gordon Wright March 31 at 4 p.m. in the Davis Concert Hall. Wright died Feb. 14. He was a UAF professor emeritus and founder of the Arctic Chamber Orchestra.
Career Services is hosting a student job fair April 4 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Wood Center Carol Brown Ballroom. For more information call 7596 or visit www.uaf.edu/career/.
CLA presents the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute public lecture "Crossing Borders, Seeking Sisters: Chinese Adoption in the United States" by Toby Volkman, April 4 from 7:30-9 p.m. in the UA Museum of the North Auditorium.
The Office of Information Technology is hosting training opportunities throughout the semester, including MS Access 3 and MS Excel 3 April 5 and Meeting Maker April 11. For more information or to register visit www.uaf.edu/oit/training/.
Music at One, free recitals by UAF music students, take place throughout the semester on Thursdays from 1-2 p.m. in the Davis Concert Hall. Admission is free. For more information call 7555.
The IPY Visiting Author Series presents Tom Barnett, author of The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-first Century, April 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Davis Concert Hall. Admission is free. For more information visit www.uaf.edu/ipy/.
Outdoor Adventures is sponsoring spring semester trips including the Winter Camping Trip April 7-8 and Spring Migration Paddle I April 22. For more information call 6027 or visit www.uaf.edu/outdoor/.
National Student Employment Week is April 9-13. Take the opportunity to let your student employees know they are appreciated. For information about ways to recognize student employees visit www.uaf.edu/career/Events/NSEW/.
The UA Museum of the North presents an IPY lecture, "Alaskan Climate Change in a Global Context," by President's Professor of Global Climate Change John Walsh, IARC, April 10 at 7 p.m. Admission is free. For more information call 7505.
The Department of Foreign Languages is hosting an open house, potluck and culture night April 11 from 6-8 p.m. in the Wood Center Carol Brown Ballroom. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to bring an international food dish to share.
The 19th annual UAF Jazz Festival takes place April 12-14. The festival brings junior high and high school students from around the state to UAF for jazz study and concerts. Performers include: The UAF Jazz Band, with guest artist Chris Washburne and Syotos, April 12 at 7 p.m., admission is $15 adults and $10 students, seniors and military; the jazz festival choir and participants April 13 at 7 p.m. with free admission; and the honor choir and band April 14 at 1 p.m. with free admission. All concerts take place in the Davis Concert Hall.
The 2007 Northwestern Regional Steel Bridge Competition is April 14 from 8 a.m -6 p.m. at the Patty Center. More than 120 engineering students from Pacific Northwest universities will participate by building steel bridges to be judged on strength, aesthetics and time to assemble.
The UA Museum of the North presents the Saturday family program Traces from the Past April 14 from 9 a.m.-noon. Children aged 7-12, accompanied by an adult, will participate in an archaeological dig and learn about the work of the museum archeology staff. Registration is required and the cost is $30. For more information or to register call 6948.
The 13th annual Beat Beethoven 5K race, sponsored by the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, takes place April 14 at 10 a.m. starting at the Patty Center. For more information call 5733 or visit www.fairbankssymphony.org.
The 11th annual Science Potpourri, the open house for CNSM, takes place April 14 from noon-5 p.m. in the Natural Sciences Facility. It will feature hands-on activities and presentations for all ages. For more information call Marlys at 6287 or Jeff at 7077.
Jack Wilbur, Jr., president of Design Alaska, has been selected as the SOM Business Leader of the Year. Wilbur was presented with the award at the 31st annual SOM Business Leader of the Year banquet held March 22.
Javier Fochesatto, GI, won an award for best paper in air sensing and monitoring at the International Symposium on Spectral Sensing Research.
Leah Aronow-Brown, CLA, received first prize in the Fairbanks Arts Association's 2007 Alaska Statewide Poetry Contest with her poem "Listening to the Poet Laureate Speak in Gaelic." Aronow-Brown also recently won third prize in the Helen Keller International Writing Competition for her story "Jillian's Music."
Marc Wohlford, FS, was selected as the 2007 Young Engineer of the Year by the Alaska Society of Professional Engineers.
Recent major gifts will enhance student opportunities at UAF. A $5 million six-year grant from the Rasmuson Foundation will allow SFOS to develop a new undergraduate fisheries curriculum. Alyeska Pipeline Service Company pledged $500,000 over the next five years to bolster programs such as RAHI, SOM's MBA program and the Science for Alaska Lecture Series. The Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation pledged $25,000 per year for ten years for students working in international wilderness conservation.
April 9, 2007: Faculty and staff authors who published a book between March 1, 2006 and March 1, 2007 are invited to submit them for the 2007 Authors' Reception, hosted by Chancellor Jones and the Rasmuson Library, to be held April 25. For more information and submission guidelines call 7224.
CACNE Pays Tribute to Honorary Degree Recipients
The Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Native Education is made up of members of the Alaska Native community, students, faculty and others concerned with UAF's response to Native education. CACNE members provide the chancellor with recommendations regarding education programs, commencement, advancement and assisting with the selection of Alaska Natives who receive honorary degrees.
Honorary degree recipients are nominated by community members and are chosen to recognize significant achievements that have brought distinction to their academic or professional careers and for their lasting contributions to the state and the nation. We have chosen to christen them "Wisdom Bearers." The Wisdom Bearers committee chair, Clara Johnson, is preparing for a gathering of the Alaska Native Wisdom Bearers, made up of past and present honorary degree recipients. This year will mark only the second time the Wisdom Bearers have come together in the nearly 40-year history of the tradition of Alaska Natives receiving an honorary doctorate. A series of events are planned for Oct. 22-24 to coincide with the Alaska Federation of Natives Conference to be held in Fairbanks.
UAF is working on many exciting projects to highlight Native Alaskans such as the Troth Yeddh'a Park, the development of a Ph.D. with a focus on indigenous education and development, and a concept for an iconic building that will house a library, graduate studies center, amphitheater and meeting space. We will look to the elders to provide us with guidance and support.
The Fairbanks campus is the perfect host as it was a traditional gathering place for Interior Alaska Natives according to the oral history of the late Athabascan Chief Peter John. It will be fascinating to hear from individuals such as Willie Hensley and former Sealaska and First Alaskans Foundation CEO Byron Mallott who received their honorary doctoral degrees in the 1980s. A recent recipient is Ken Toovak who worked side by side with UAF scientists for many years studying changing arctic conditions.
With all the focus on the International Polar Year and the questions being asked by scientists about the Earth's polar regions, how those regions are changing and how such changes are affecting the health of our biosphere, it should be captivating to hear from the Wisdom Bearers on these issues.
