UA Newswire September 1, 2026

newswire

September 1, 2026

Research, workforce development and economic growth news stories and other feature articles from the University of Alaska Anchorage, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Alaska Southeast, University of Alaska System Office and the UA Foundation. Compiled by the University of Alaska System Office of Public Affairs.

University of Alaska Anchorage

Opinion: The next generation of Alaska leaders is already proving what it can do

In this op-ed, Dr. Yatchmeneff reflects on what student success really means and how strong educational pathways go beyond grades, credits, and degrees. Drawing from her own experience and her first year as ANSEP COO, she highlights how ANSEP’s sequential model provides students from kindergarten through graduate education with academic preparation, hands-on learning, mentorship, a sense of belonging, and the confidence to pursue their goals.

Contact: Liz Baker

Dr. Michele Yatchmeneff, COO of the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program, photographed at the University of Alaska Anchorage on Friday, May 16, 2025. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

New Academic and Administrative Leaders at UAA Campuses

UAA begins the fall semester with five leaders named to new positions across several campuses. Each holds a doctoral degree and a commitment to academic excellence.

Contact: Katie Bender

ANTHC partners with UAA to offer local clinical rotations for healthcare students

A new partnership between the University of Alaska Anchorage and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium will allow healthcare students to complete their clinical rotations at local ANTHC facilities.

Contact: Katie Bender

University of Alaska Fairbanks

A lush knee-high jungle grows in the Arctic, but warming is changing Earth's mini-greenhouse

Researchers at the Toolik Field Station, 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, are studying whether plants facing these harsh conditions evolve to compete or cooperate with one another.

Contact: Haley Dunleavy

Toolik field station from above in summer

Toolik Field Station's extreme environment has long given researchers a unique perspective on what makes plants grow, insight that would be hard to obtain elsewhere. (UAF photo)

At the Frontier of Change: How—or Where—to Rebuild as Alaska's Permafrost Disappears

The tribal village of Kwigillingok was largely destroyed after Typhoon Halong struck the Alaska west coast last October. Warming temperatures also are thinning Alaska's layer of permafrost, making it virtually non-existent, with infrastructure also at risk around the state.

Contact: Rod Boyce

NASA AI Maps Hidden Arctic Freeze Stage That Could Unlock Vast Carbon

A new NASA-led study has produced the first high-resolution maps of this hidden phenomenon, revealing that moisture-rich regions of the circum-Arctic experience zero-curtain conditions for significantly longer periods than drier interior areas, with implications for the release of one of Earth’s largest carbon reservoirs.

Contact: Marmian Grimes

University of Alaska Southeast

Did you know for the first time in UA history, Alaska Native language names will lead a university course listing?

The Indigenous Health and Healing Pathway is a new UAS academic program bridging Indigenous and Western approaches to health and healing. In April 2026, UAS and the Goldbelt Heritage Foundation signed a memorandum of agreement to formalize the partnership.

Contact: Sarah Niecko

Students receive certificates of completion on the final day of the Indigenous health and healing summer intensive.

Students receive certificates of completion on the final day of the Indigenous Health and Healing Pathway summer intensive. (Photo courtesy of Wendy K'ah Skaahkuwaa Todd)

More out-of-state students opt for University of Alaska Southeast, with new in-state tuition rate

UAS piloted the new tuition policy this year, called Alaska Unlocked, which offers the standard in-state tuition rate for all undergraduate courses, regardless of the student’s residency.

That’s resulted in an estimated 36% increase this year in out-of-state students enrolling at UAS compared to last year, according to university officials.

Contact: Sal Hertz

UAS welcomes new faculty in Arts & Sciences, Career Education and Education

The University of Alaska Southeast is welcoming seven new full-time faculty members for the fall 2026 semester, bringing advanced knowledge in disciplines that include housing policy, Indigenous arts, marine power technology and educational leadership.

Contact: Sal Hertz

UA System Office

Education Trust of Alaska Celebrates 25 Years of Empowering Families and Investing in Future Generations

The Education Trust of Alaska celebrated its 25th anniversary with a reception at the University of Alaska Museum of the North and the Walt and Marita Babula Planetarium on August 31, marking a quarter-century of helping families across Alaska and the nation prepare financially for education after high school.

Contact: Jonathon Taylor

University of Alaska Chief Finance Officer Luke Fulp, Alaska Sen. Scott Kawasaki, Alaska Rep. Maxine Dibert, Lael Oldmixon, executive director of Education Trust of Alaska, Alaska 529 and UA Scholars, and Alaska Rep. Ashley Carrick pose with a framed legislative citation during a recognition event. Oldmixon holds the citation while the group stands beside a UAF podium. UA Chief Financial Officer Luke Fulp, Alaska Sen. Scott Kawasaki, Alaska Sen. Löki Gale Tobin, Lael Oldmixon, executive director of the Education Trust of Alaska and Alaska Rep. Ashley Carrick pose with a legislative citation presented at the event. (UA photo)

University of Alaska Board of Regents to celebrate semester start, highlight student support initiatives at September Meeting

The University of Alaska (UA) Board of Regents will meet in Juneau Sept. 2-3 on the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) campus to continue forward planning and building momentum on key student support and workforce initiatives.

Contact: Jonathon Taylor

University of Alaska Statewide AI Symposium

The statewide symposium will begin with an analysis by civic leaders, local teachers, and nonprofit and business representatives who will discuss how AI is shaping their sectors, including the Municipality of Anchorage’s chief innovation officer and a rep from the Anchorage School District.

Contact: Katie Bender

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