Celebrating history in the making

By Michelle Saport

Look back at major milestones and ahead at what’s next as UAA commemorates several anniversaries this year, including the UAA/APU Consortium Library’s 50th, College of Business and Public Policy’s 50th, Culinary Arts’ 50th and Campus Kickoff’s 20th.

‘Alaska is a library’: Nancy Lesh reflects on more than five decades of service with the Consortium Library

At the UAA/APU Consortium Library’s 50th anniversary celebration, Dean Steve Rollins gave a shoutout to librarian Nancy Lesh, who may be the university’s longest-serving employee. Lesh had already been with the university for five years when the Consortium Library was established and built in 1973 following an agreement between the two schools that would eventually become the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and Alaska Pacific University (APU). In honor of the library’s 50th anniversary, we caught up with Lesh for an inside look at its history and future.

‘Dedicated to serving people’

As for the changes between the library then and now, Lesh notes, “I would say, first of all, that the basic commitment to serving patrons hasn’t changed since the beginning. My experience with library faculty and staff is that everyone is very dedicated to serving people and making sure that they get the material that they need for whatever reason.”

Lesh lists the library’s growth and technology as the two biggest changes over the years.

The Anchorage Community College (ACC) library moved from West Anchorage High School to the new ACC campus in 1970, where it was housed in the Sally Monserud Hall. The original Consortium Library building in West Campus opened in 1973 and expanded in 2004 with renovations and the addition of a new wing, the Foucault Pendulum and the Beacon of Knowledge.

In 1973, the library was the first building on UAA’s East Campus. Since it was built to accommodate future growth, the facility had enough extra space to serve as a temporary home for many other departments as new construction continued around it.

“We had all kinds of college offices and other organizations housed in the building for the first few years, including the Chancellor’s Office, KAKM, the Senior College, the Alaska Historical Commission and the Alaska Medical Library. Courtesy of the graduate psychology department, we even had a rat lab in the library!” Lesh said. “So we started small and then those other agencies moved on to other places as more buildings were constructed.”

As the Consortium Library continued to grow over the years, another expansion was needed by the early 2000s. “[Building] a new part of the library, because that gave a lot more room to some of the partnerships that we have and making the collection more accessible — I think that was definitely a milestone,” said Lesh.

Moving online from older technology such as card catalogs, microfiche and telex machines was also transformational, Lesh said. “With technology and the internet, we’ve got an ability to do more, to communicate more easily with more places.”

‘We can all work together’

“In Alaska, everybody was basically material poor and probably staff poor, and that made us all better at performing our missions if we pulled together. And luckily, everybody was pretty much, I think, of that mindset,” Lesh said. “The big libraries were willing to help the little ones and a lot of times the little ones had unique collections or locations that certainly helped the larger ones. And in the early days, we were very lucky that the directors of the three big libraries, the State Library and the University of Fairbanks and Anchorage, were all leaders in interlibrary cooperation. And so everybody joined together very nicely.”

That collaboration has continued over the years, in one form or another, leading to countless opportunities for the libraries and the communities they serve.

“There was a comment one time made in the ‘80s when we were looking at statewide cooperation, and the phrase was coined, ‘Alaska is a library.’ And that kind of pulls together this notion that with the partnerships and the technology, we can all work together and be aware of each other.”

Lesh cites the example of the Alaska Library Catalog, which started in 1999 as a partnership between UAA and the Anchorage Public Library. Today, the shared catalog is a consortium of more than 90 libraries in rural and urban areas, serving over 200,000 library users across Alaska. As a result, a library patron in Kotzebue has access to the same materials as someone in Anchorage — and vice versa. “It makes it so accessible to everybody in the state to know who’s got what holdings and all the rest of it. We’re very rich that way.”

‘Come, look and explore’

When asked what the collection’s best-kept secret was, she had an answer at the ready: “Oh, that it’s a strong, ever-growing collection. Come in and take a look. It sometimes gets a little hidden, I think, in the midst of everything else, but if you have an interest in that kind of material, it’s very good to come, look and explore.”

“The main Alaskana collection is located in the stacks on the second floor. It includes print materials, DVDs, videos, records, microfilm and microfiche. Other Alaskana items are held in the Maps collection, Juvenile Collection and Archives, and included in online databases,” Lesh said. “It really covers several different locations in the library, just depending on what it is.”

To make sure the collection reflects the history and people of Alaska, Lesh is always looking for new additions. “I spend a lot of time, just in my everyday life, looking for titles that we should buy. With a specialized collection like Alaskana, there aren’t always lists of books published, and so I’m always looking for titles in places like regular stores, bookstores, newspaper articles, obituaries, community events, TV newscasts, word of mouth and local newsletters. Really, anywhere and everywhere.”

For new acquisitions, she’s also excited by the rise in publications written and published by Alaska Native voices. “In the last 15 or 20 years there’s been a real increase in publications which is terrific! I try to buy as much as I can find and on many topics. Two of the big publishers, I think, are Sealaska in Juneau and the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak. And just this month, I found out about and was able to have donated a publication by the Tanana Chiefs in Fairbanks. It is called Legacy of Our Elders and is a series of interviews with some of their members. These kinds of things are just priceless for documenting parts of Alaska’s history.”

Although she always seeks out new items for the collection, Lesh notes that “a lot of it’s serendipity, I think. You work at it, but it’s still serendipity when you find these things!”

‘That’s what makes it exciting’

“I know there’s the question of, ‘What do you envision for the library’s next 50 years?’ Yes, I haven’t got a clue, actually. That’s what makes it exciting,” said Lesh. “It’s fun to look back on the first 50 and see how far we’ve come. And hopefully we’ll come that far again just in new ways.”

Lesh added, “With funding and new technologies for materials, staff, space and sharing, it’s going to get even better.”

UAA College of Business and Public Policy: 50 years in the making

As UAA’s College of Business and Public Policy (CBPP) celebrates 50 years, the milestone underscores its dedication, innovation and influence in shaping business education in Alaska. More than 400 guests celebrated the anniversary at the college’s fall showcase, which also raised over $15,000 for student programs and scholarships.

Journey from past to present

Foremost among CBPP’s major milestones was earning accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a distinction held by only 6% of business schools worldwide. The college received initial accreditation in 1995 and most recently gained an accreditation extension in 2021 after exceeding benchmarks during its last review. AACSB’s accreditation criteria, continually refined over the years, are the gold standard for evaluating a school’s mission, faculty qualifications, curricula and other critical areas. For students, accreditation has the added benefit of making it easier to transfer credits between other AACSB schools and helping graduate school applications stand out.

“AACSB accreditation is a testament to our dedication to providing a rigorous, credible and competitive education. It assures employers that CBPP graduates are ready to perform on day one,” said Terry Nelson, Ph.D., associate dean and professor of leadership and business administration.

Another significant milestone was the construction of Rasmuson Hall, the college’s dedicated building, completed in 1992. Originally named the Business Education Building, the new facility symbolized the college’s growth and emergence as a major entity on the campus. The building was formally renamed Edward and Cathryn Rasmuson Hall in 2005 to honor the couple’s numerous contributions to UAA.

The building is constantly evolving to keep pace with changing demands and trends. Recent additions include the Weidner Center for Real Estate Management in 2017, Alaska Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab in 2019 (a partnership with the UAA College of Engineering), Seawolf Stock Ticker in 2022, and the First National Bank Alaska Finance Lab in 2023. These state-of-the-art centers are hubs for academic and extracurricular activities, significantly enhancing the student experience and expanding research opportunities.

Business is everywhere

Moreover, Nelson stressed the universal nature of business. It permeates every sector and career path. Whether a student aspires to be an engineer, a dancer or pursue another profession, understanding business is crucial. From leadership and organizational behavior to accounting and marketing, business skills are invaluable for personal and professional growth. Even if a student’s passion lies elsewhere, business knowledge complements and enhances their chosen field.

The college’s most popular minor, business administration, lays a solid foundation for students in any major. It’s a key part of the college’s drive to encourage all students, regardless of study area, to pursue programs in entrepreneurship and leadership.

Adapting to a changing landscape

One of the newest concentrations offered by CBPP is the Alaska Native business management minor and occupational endorsement certificate (OEC). (The program’s first graduate, Amanda Sagmoen, completed the minor in 2016.) The two options cover the history, culture and management of Alaska Native corporations — essential knowledge for anyone doing business in the state.

CBPP Interim Communications Manager Kurt Robar, emphasizing the significance of the academic programs, said, “We strive for diversity and quality. Our programs are designed to give students a well-rounded education that is relevant in today’s rapidly changing world.”

Research and innovation

The Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), which became part of UAA in 1984, is the oldest public policy research institute in Alaska and focuses on critical economic and social issues in the region.

“Our research is not just theoretical,” said Nelson. “It has a real impact on our community. We aim to create knowledge that makes a difference.”

In the ‘80s, the college was one of the first business schools to adopt a computer lab, equipped with some of the earliest Macintosh computers. Today, CBPP is at the forefront of technology as it endeavors to integrate artificial intelligence across the curriculum. Helena Wisniewski, Ph.D., the Marion Porter Endowed Chair, is leading efforts to infuse AI into several courses. The integration goes beyond the classroom as she envisions engaging the community in AI projects providing students with real-world experiences. The aim is to embrace AI and its potential, making it an integral part of both education and community development.

The expanded offerings exemplify CBBPP’s forward-looking approach to education, always staying a step ahead of trends and changes to ensure student success. Among these innovations is developing stackable programs that allow students to achieve milestones along their academic journey, ensuring a smooth transition and boosting motivation. Take accounting, for example; a student can start the program with the occupational endorsement certificate in bookkeeping, which takes a year or less to complete. If a student decides to continue their studies, the OEC stacks into the associate in accounting degree, which stacks into the bachelor’s in accounting. This approach, now common across the university, helps students save time and money during their academic journey while empowering them to leave UAA with a credential, not just credits.

It’s not just looking ahead either — the college is quick to pivot and respond in the face of unexpected challenges like those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. To maintain a sense of community, even in a remote or hybrid learning environment, the college launched an on-campus welcome event to help new first-year, transfer and graduate students connect with each other and faculty, as well as learn more about resources and opportunities for involvement. Almost 200 students attended the 2022 event, with some online students meeting their professors and classmates in person for the first time. The event wrapped up with CBPP Dean John Nofsinger awarding more than $15,000 in tuition waivers to students. Inspired by its success, the college hosted an online scavenger hunt to reach even more students, awarding textbook funds for finding information on the CBPP website.

The commitment to supporting students and fostering talent is evidenced by the college’s many notable alumni. CBPP boasts more UAA Alumni of Distinction than any other college and an impressive number of Top Forty Under 40 alumni, including two on the most recent list.

Philanthropy and scholarships

A decade after the Rasmuson endowment, in 2011, Dean Weidner gifted $3 million to create the Weidner Chair, eventually leading to the creation of the Weidner Property Management and Real Estate Program at CBPP, one of the few programs in the country offering a bachelor’s degree with a dedicated curriculum focused on the management of real estate assets.

More recently, in 2021, UAA alumnus (and founder of the student Accounting Club) Gary Klopfer, B.B.A. ‘81, and his wife, Jane Cuddy Klopfer, donated $1 million to establish the UAA Student Investment Fund, enabling students to gain hands-on experience in portfolio management. Returns from the fund are dedicated to student scholarships, helping support the next generation of business leaders.

Affordability is a top priority for UAA, and CBPP is no exception. Last academic year, 117 CBPP students benefited from a combined $134,200 in scholarships. The college continuously works toward growing scholarships to help students succeed, with a scholarship for Alaska Native students as one of its newest initiatives.

Looking ahead to the next 50 years

As the college celebrates 50 years of excellence, it looks forward to shaping the leaders of tomorrow and making lasting contributions to the field of academia and beyond.

“Business education is tied to technology. We teach students to use the most up-to-date business software and techniques. We also teach students using the latest technology tools. Fifty years ago, we didn’t have personal computers, spreadsheets, email or the internet. It is unlikely people from the past could imagine how we do business (and teach business education) today,” said Dean Nofsinger. “Given the rapid evolution of technology, it’s challenging to predict what business education will look like in another 50 years. However, it is likely to be more personalized and involve virtual and augmented reality technology. Education itself could become more continuous in nature rather than the traditional fixed-duration model. It sure will be exciting to see how business and business education evolve!”

Golden: UAA Culinary Arts celebrates 50 years

“We’ve gone through a lot of changes, but we’re still strong,” said Kellie Puff, A.A. ‘02, B.A. ‘13, associate professor and chair of UAA’s Department of Culinary Arts. “We want to be the leaders in the culinary industry. We want our industry to come to us when they need us, and when they need students, and vice versa. We want to be at the forefront of Alaska culinary.”

‘Making that connection, that’s always the difference’

“For the 50th year, we thought it was appropriate to have one of our own rock stars lead the charge — Chef Nate Bentley,” said Puff. “He was a student of mine at King Career Center when I taught there, which made this extra special, near and dear for me, because he was so young when he first got into culinary.”

In addition to showcasing locally grown talent, the event raised over $80K for the program and student scholarships, including a $25,000 challenge gift from the Linford family, endowing a scholarship in memory of Sue Linford.

“So having that opportunity to really highlight Alaska talent,” said Puff. “We’ve got local James Beard nominees and winners, and there’s some really good food in Alaska, so why not showcase that?”

Planning for the next CCI is already underway. Puff spoke recently with a colleague in UAA’s College of Dietetics and Nutrition who suggested a few Alaska Native chefs highlighting Indigenous food. “We’ve got some great connections within the university and in our own community, so I think that might be where we’re heading. I think it’ll be great to expose people to those kinds of foods in an upscale kind of way.”

CCI is one of many foodie fundraisers students volunteer at throughout the year, including the Alumni of Distinction Banquet, 10 Chefs for Causes and the American Cancer Society Wine and Food Fest.

“Our students get that real unique opportunity of working alongside these chefs, this talent, and getting to know them and interact with them in ways that they wouldn’t normally get. They actually get jobs from this, because if they handed in a resume that doesn’t show culinary experience, just as a student, they may not get a call. Having that interaction and making that connection, that’s always the difference,” said Puff.

‘This is where I need to be’

“Since being in this program, I have done so many different things in my life that I don’t think I would have ever even dreamed of doing.” Among the highlights: a weeklong intensive with Chef Rick Bayless in Oaxaca, Mexico, multiple TV show appearances and a trip to Florence, Italy, earlier this year to visit UAA’s study-abroad partner Apicius International School of Hospitality.

Now that the Apicius program is active again following a COVID-19 pause, UAA students pursuing an associate degree in culinary arts can earn credits while studying abroad in Italy for a semester. During her visit, Puff observed different lab classes in action, toured the school and learned more about the gamut of options offered. From fashion to culinary arts and hospitality, each track offers its own real-world component for students.

She stayed at an on-campus apartment that serves as a learning laboratory for students on the hospitality side: “Students have to deal with the reservations, managing the cleaning, and all of that. So that was pretty cool.” On the culinary side, students fill the roles at the school’s pastry shop, coffee shop and restaurant — all open to the public.

The spaces function similarly to Lucy’s and the Bakery Cart on UAA’s Anchorage campus, providing students the opportunity to hone their skills outside the classroom. Both places are immensely popular with a reputation for fine food at an affordable price-point. “The reservations for Lucy’s this past semester sold out in a day. The bakery cart sells out every day,” said Puff. Although closed for the summer, both will benefit next semester from a new baker’s oven in the bakery, thanks to Holland America Princess.

‘A feather in your cap’

“It took a year to do the self-study, so we have to evaluate all aspects of the program and provide documentation and write a narrative. […] And then at the end of it, there’s a site visit. We had two evaluators come and observe our classes and interview us. They were here for two days, and they gave us some feedback.

“They loved the dynamic between the faculty and the staff here within our program. They said that we were very cohesive and that you don’t always see that kind of collaboration and support of each other. They were really impressed with how well we meshed together and how we all are really focused on the program as a whole, not just what we teach,” said Puff.

For students, one of the many benefits of accreditation is that they automatically become ACF-certified culinarians upon graduation from the associate program.

“Certification is, I think, it’s a feather in your cap,” said Puff. “But it also gives the students a foot in the door to being a member of the American Culinary Federation and pursuing higher levels of certification if they want to challenge themselves in that way.”

‘You learn so much from each other’

As passionate as Puff is about culinary arts, she also has a sweet spot for the UAA community.

“I love that UAA is accessible to everybody and anybody. What I love about us is that you’ll see students straight out of high school, and then you will see students here who are in their second or third career. You get this super diverse mix of students in age, race, culture, all of this. It feels like a melting pot,” said Puff.

An emerald tradition: Campus Kickoff celebrates 20 years

The spirit of UAA’s most beloved campus tradition remained the same though: “It’s about welcoming new students to campus,” said Kim Morton, executive director of Student Engagement and Inclusion. “It’s welcoming back current students, our faculty, staff, alumni and Anchorage community members, and showing off all that UAA has to offer.”

Here’s a look at highlights from the past 20 years.

‘Let’s go outside’

“I’ll never forget: Mike and I came out to the Cuddy Quad lawn, and it wasn’t the brightest, sunniest of days. We had these big raincoats on — but it wasn’t raining,” said retired staff member Annie Route, who headed the CKO Committee for much of its 20-year history in her role as director of Student Life and Leadership. “We stood out there and we looked, and I said, ‘Let’s do it. Let’s go outside.’ And then after that day, I looked at Mike, and I said, ‘We’re never going back inside again. This is an outdoor event.’”

Creating a welcoming and vibrant community

“What we’re hoping is that you find another student to connect with or a student organization that you can join or volunteer with,” said Clark of the booths. “Maybe you’ll meet a professor, or maybe you’re looking for a job. All of these are possibilities that you can do in one place, at one time.”

Not only are booths a great resource for information and making connections, but they traditionally feature some type of swag, whether it’s pens, candy, backpacks, sunglasses, a raffle to enter or another freebie.

At every festival, one of the most popular giveaway items is always the specialty Campus Kickoff shirt printed with the current year and student-designed logo. The shirts tend to be green instead of gold after the organizers discovered an issue with bright yellow shirts one year: “The bees loved it,” laughed Route. “All of the committee people were wearing their shirts [at the check-in area] and some of them worked in booths and then all of a sudden, they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, these bees kept coming back to us.’ We didn’t go yellow again.”

When not touring the booths and collecting swag, past CKO attendees have had their pick of festival entertainment, from live music and dance performances to inflatable challenges and a rock wall.

Many entertainers returned to the CKO festival over the years after falling in love with the energy and community of the event. The Butt Sketcher, for example, was a fixture at CKO for over 10 years. Groups of friends and colleagues lined up to have artist Pjae Naiima sketch their fully clothed backsides for a unique portrait. “Toward the end, she was bringing her daughter with her because she’d had such a good time,” said Route.

Another fixture was a group from TBA Theatre (including several UAA students) who brought a circus to campus, demonstrating flamethrowing and hula hooping on the Cuddy Quad. Route said many of the performers are now married with kids and laugh when looking back at their time playing with fire during Kickoff.

Beyond the festival

The CKO festival is one piece of a larger celebration. For previous iterations of Campus Kickoff, the festival was often followed by a comedy show, walk-in movie, volleyball scrimmage and Fred Meyer College Night shopping.

The comedy show in particular, organized by the UAA Concert Board, was known for drawing some of the biggest names to play Anchorage: B.J. Novak in 2007 (known for his role as Ryan on The Office, performing at the show’s height); Judah Friedlander in 2009 (performing at the height of 30 Rock, where he played Frank Rossitano); Donald Glover in 2010 (performing a few weeks before the second season of Community aired and over a year before his major label-debut as Childish Gambino dropped); Nick Offerman in 2013 (aka Ron Swanson on Parks & Recreation, performing a few weeks before the show’s sixth and penultimate season premiered).

The lines for the shows, which were only open to UAA community members and their guests, often snaked around the Wendy Williamson Center. “I always was fascinated by people waiting to get in,” noted Route. “It’s the energy of, ‘I can’t wait to get in there and see that.’”

Although the details are still pending, expect to see that same energy and community spirit as Campus Kickoff brings alumni, students, faculty, staff and community members together to celebrate the start of another academic year on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024.

Accounting faculty member Stasia Straley in the center of the crowd at Campus Kickoff 2009.