The Alumni Association pledged $30,000 to the Athletics Department in support of Nanook Hall of Fame awards display case in Patty Center and gave a $10,000 gift toward that pledge.

John duPont made a generous gift to the UA Museum of the North's Ornithology fund. The Friends of Ornithology fund provides support for small projects and student research.

Students are currently studying the status and distribution of Alaska birds, systematics and phylogeography of species and populations, avian disease transport, contaminants in Aleutian birds, and aspects of avian migration.

Sportsmedicine Fairbanks, Alaska's Nanooks official team sponsor, made a $10,000 gift to the Athletic Department's Nanook Fund.  The Nanook Fund is used in the areas of greatest need within the Athletics Department.

The Boeing Company donated $10,000 to support the Rural Alaska Honors Institute and the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program.

Phil Younker made a $10,000 gift to the Younker Family Scholarship. This scholarship benefits non-traditional, sophmore standing students who are married with one or more children.

The Bernard Osher Foundation renewed their support of the Osher Re-entry Scholarships at UAF with an additional $50,000 gift. This program helped bolster 13 students this current academic year, returning to finish their baccalaureate degree after a lapse of five years or more. The new funding will support 12-14 students next academic year.

With nearly $800,000 given through 464 awards and scholarships to students during the past year, UAF is proud to celebrate scholarship support at this special event. Over 225 students, donors and UAF faculty and staff turned out early in the morning on Tuesday, April 14 to hear guest speakers share their unique perspectives on the importance of scholarships in their lives.

Chancellor Brian Rogers impressed upon the audience that economic factors are squeezing students and institutions in various ways, and making scholarships all the more essential. "Donors often tell me how meaningful it is for them to know that they are truly doing something important when they support scholarships at UAF," said Chancellor Rogers. "Their lives are changed by giving, and at the same time, students’ lives will never be the same."

That sentiment was echoed by one of the attendees, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner journalist and UAF alumnus Dermot Cole, who wrote about the breakfast in his column.

He and his brothers, Pat Cole and UAF faculty member and alumnus Terrence Cole, along with other family members, are strong supporters of the William P. Cole Phi Alpha Theta History Scholarship in honor of their father.

In recalling the importance of scholarships and explaining why she supports them, Joy Morrison, UAF Director of Faculty Development, noted, "As a foreign student many years ago, I simply could not have attended college if it weren't for scholarships." As a member of the Ruth Lister Scholarship Committee, Joy urges fellow faculty members to commit to supporting scholarships, as well.

Heather Neal, an Engineering senior and recipient of the Aaron Howard Townsend Civil Engineering Memorial Scholarship, marveled at the connections that arose from her scholarship to UAF which included leadership opportunities, and other aspects of education reaching far beyond the classroom.

Matthew Balazs, who received the first Earl Maxwell Memorial Scholarship for geography students, and an Osher Reentry Scholarship, as well as the Excellence in Geographic Information Systems Scholarship, talked about the geographic notion of ‘sense of place’ – a connection to a place that is special. Because of his connection with UAF he enjoys through scholarships, he feels motivated to continue to work  hard, in school and after he graduates, so that one day he can donate to the future scholars of UAF.

Attendees came from all over the country to join us for the breakfast, including Cliff Hubbard from the Houston, TX area. He was excited to meet the student from Cameroon who had received the Velma Hubbard Memorial Scholarship in honor of his late wife. Velma had worked for years in the UAF Registrar's Office. Cliff says, "Velma valued education, and was pleased on that day, in 1978, when she and her daughter Annette both graduated from UAF." Hubbard, a military veteran, was also a former staff member at UAF and enjoyed a visit with his granddaughter, a UAF student, while in Fairbanks.

Students expressed gratitude to scholarship sponsors and donors, as well as to the Breakfast planning committee for the opportunity to meet donors and be a part of the spirit of the day. One student, Jennifer Grieve, first recipient of the Golden North Rebekah Lodge (est. 1913) Scholarship, emailed to say:

"I wanted to thank you for encouraging me to attend the scholarship breakfast. I had a wonderful time. I never realized how much the donors care about these scholarships until this morning. I am very glad I went. Thank you. Jenny Grieve."

Support of the UAF SOM Student Investment Fund Lab's computer software was made possible by a generous $30,000 gift from Northrim Bank, an Alaska-based commercial bank headquartered in Anchorage which has a strong community commitment at its core.  Northrim Bank's donation to the UAF School of Management enabled SOM to buy specialized investment software for the SIFE computer lab, as well as supplement other priority projects at the school. For more information about SIFE, visit the SOM website.
 

Princess Cruises & Tours has donated $100,000 to the University of Alaska Fairbanks for the support of the Marine Advisory Program, a statewide marine extension service comprised of advisory agents who live and work in nine coastal communities across Alaska. MAP agents help coastal residents use, conserve and manage the ocean resources that often provide the economic backbone of Alaska's coastal towns and villages. This gift will support their efforts over the course of three years.

"This outstanding gift highlights Princess Cruises & Tours' commitment as stewards of our ocean environment," said UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers.

"Princess is dedicated to environmental stewardship worldwide - it is the right thing to do and our visitors expect us to protect the land and sea we share with them," said Bruce Bustamante, vice president of community & public affairs for Princess Tours. The donation builds on the company's long tradition of generosity and support for Alaska's university system. Read the full press release...

$1 million gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation will provide a permanent and stable source of support for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The eight-year old institute serves the Interior's older adult population through classes ranging from art, computer technology, current events, to health, history, literature, and more. Students meet for classes or study groups, but there are no tests or grades.

“In addition to offering 100 courses a year and a lecture series, we offer educational travel excursions during the summer months to other areas of Alaska such as Katmai National Park, Kotzebue and McCarthy," says Barbara Lando, Director of OLLI. “I am proud of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UAF, which serves a thriving population,” said UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers. “The endowment will provide our OLLI with funding in perpetuity. It is indeed an honor to be supported through the Osher Foundation with funds to endow our program.”

The Bernard Osher Foundation also supports the Osher Reentry Scholarship Program at UAF, providing support to baccalaureate-degree-seeking students whose educations have been interrupted by five years or more.   Read the full text of the press release....

The Interior Alaska Building Association has established a $25,000 endowment to provide scholarships for University of Alaska Fairbanks students pursuing careers in building-related fields.

IABA president Dave Miller said the association recognizes UAF's strength in providing building-related educational opportunities to students. "Our board of directors decided that using a part of our education fund to endow a permanent scholarship at UAF would be a solid way to connect our membership with the resources and talent available through the university's construction management and other building-related programs," says Miller. The endowment will also memorialize various local contributors to Alaska's building industry, including Norm Boelts, Leo Olesen, Randy Doll and Robert Maxwell. Read the full press release...

2008 was indeed an exciting year -- for UAF, Alaska, the nation and beyond. Sometimes that excitement was less than welcome, as has certainly been the case with our nation's economy. UAF has not been immune, and in light of the governor's FY2010 budget proposal to the legislature, here is an outline of the impacts on Alaska's first university. Read the full text of the Chancellor's letter to the community...