From the Chancellor

Together, we have achieved many important milestones. From the validation of our NWCCU reaccreditation to being awarded the prestigious 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, UAA is reaching new heights. As we champion our dual mission of building Alaska’s talent pipeline, we are filling critical workforce gaps in major industries across the state. With our enrollment numbers trending upwards, particularly among our community campuses, it’s clear that UAA is not just growing, we’re meeting the needs of our students and neighbors in Southcentral and throughout Alaska.

UAA’s reach extends far beyond the classroom, and our recognition from the Carnegie Foundation demonstrates our commitment to providing excellence in education and being a community-engaged partner. Whether it’s through the College of Health’s Alaska Area Health Education Centers expanding rural health care pathways or College of Business and Public Policy students working with the State of Alaska Department of Revenue supporting victims of fraud or Kenai Peninsula College’s Dena’ina Language Institute’s work with the Kenaitze Tribe, UAA’s impact is a positive force in Alaska.

Beyond our institutional milestones, UAA is focusing on educational journeys long before students walk through our doors. We are strengthening partnerships like the one with the Anchorage School District to ensure students are introduced and thinking about their educational path early — enrolling in the Alaska Middle College, taking and earning college credit with dual enrollment courses while still attending high school, or discovering their future options for college through the Alaska Performance Scholarship. This merit-based scholarship rewards Alaska students who have completed a rigorous high school curriculum with up to $28,000 in support, ensuring that our state’s brightest young minds study, graduate and build their careers at home.

As I continue my own journey at UAA, I am reminded that our university’s greatest strength is its people: our students, faculty, staff and incredible alumni who carry the spirit of UAA into their communities every day. I am looking forward to a future of possibilities as we continue to grow, and I invite you to remain engaged and a vital part of our momentum.

Sincerely,