Friday Focus: Happy New Year, 'Nooks!

Jan. 9, 2026

— By Charlene Stern, interim provost and executive vice chancellor

As we begin 2026, I hope that faculty, staff and students feel a sense of renewal after a well-deserved holiday break. To those who spent it here in Fairbanks, congratulations! You endured what proved to be the coldest December in 45 years! While the weather may have postponed UAF’s beloved tradition of New Year's Eve fireworks, there was still plenty of end-of-year activity on campus with community members lining up to join the 40 below club tradition of taking photos in front of UAF’s digital sign. While the Arctic temps may have been extra frigid the past few weeks, winters in Alaska are just one more aspect that makes the place where we live, teach and learn unique.

The start of the spring semester always brings a fresh burst of energy back to campus in what is typically the coldest month. Though January might have to cede that title to December this year, UAF still has many exciting developments and events planned for the spring semester.

First and foremost: Today marks spring orientation day for students and their families! If you are new to UAF — welcome! If you are returning to UAF — welcome back! Our community is excited for you to be a part of the Nanook Nation.  

To everyone’s great anticipation, this spring will mark the grand opening of the furthest north planetarium in North America, right here on UAF’s campus! The Walt and Marita Babula Planetarium is underway on the west end of the University of Alaska Museum of the North and will include a 360-degree theatre experience featuring a wide range of research and educational programming. With a seat-capacity of 65 under an 11-meter dome, the planetarium is sure to be a popular attraction for students, community members, and visitors alike to learn more about space science, including the aurora borealis.      

This past fall, we announced the merger of the Office of Faculty Affairs and Services and the Center for Teaching and Learning under the leadership of Jennifer Hoppough. The CTL website remains the central hub for faculty seeking assistance with teaching resources or to schedule a consultation with our team of instructional designers and/or media services. For technical assistance with Canvas (including course copies, cross-listing, sandbox creation, and troubleshooting), please call the Nanook Technology Services (NTS) Service Desk or submit a request at their support link. The CTL office space in Bunnell 131, including the MILL makerspace, is open and available for scheduled consultations and collaborative work. We look forward to hearing more ideas from faculty, staff and students on how CTL can be of broader assistance to the UAF community. 

And lastly, the Festival of Native Arts (also known as just 'Festival') will be happening in February! Festival is an annual Nanook Tradition that celebrates Alaska Native culture and artistic expression. The event is free to attend, so if you haven’t been before, I encourage you to join us from Feb. 26-28 for a one-of-a-kind gathering that brings much warmth and joy to our campus community. I look forward to seeing you there. Welcome back to Troth Yeddha’!

Friday Focus is written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week.