Editor Matt Jardin (left) and graphic artist Brett Rawalt (right) work on the latest edition of UAA Alumni Spirit magazine.

From the Editor

As the old adage goes, there’s nowhere to go but up. And with recent issues of Spirit magazine themed around hunkering down, reflecting back and moving forward, I wanted to take that saying to heart with an issue that’s about looking beyond the horizon.

In this ever upward issue, we’re elevating alumni who have risen above, including journalism and public communications alumnus D.K. Johnston, who recently served as additional second assistant director on the high-flying superhero film Shazam! Fury of the Gods for DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures.

Also featured in this issue is biological sciences alumna Kodi Haughn, who recently returned from a research trip to Antarctica to learn what microbial ecologies can reveal about how life emerged on our planet.

Closer to campus, you can read about art alum Jessi Saiki, who lifts others as the engagement and belonging coordinator at UAA’s new Pride Center — the first of its kind in Alaska.

We also check back in with the UAA School of Education, which spent the last several years rebuilding since its national accreditation was jeopardized in 2019.

Of course, your Alumni Relations team and I always look forward to hearing about what’s up in the lives of alumni, so never hesitate to reach out to share any updates — updates that we may include in upcoming issues of the magazine in the Class Notes section.

With Green and Gold Spirit,

A digital signature in red ink provided by Matt Jardin

Matt Jardin, B.B.A. ’10
Editor

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