On May 5, at the insistence of her daughters, Lisa Vandelac put on her first cap and gown to celebrate a successful second chance. After more than 20 years as a hairdresser and single mom to two girls, she seized her opportunity to write a new chapter in the story of her life. Read the rest of Lisa’s story here.

Friday, June 21, 8:55 a.m.- 4:15 p.m. UAA Faculty and Staff are invited to join the UAA/ National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) team for the Social Inclusion and Equity one-day workshop. Do not miss the opportunity to engage in this experiential process and series of activities. The one-day workshop will [...]

Wednesday, May 22, 5-6:30 p.m. Student Union, Cafeteria At USUAA Student Government‘s first summer meeting, the assembly will appoint and vote on a new ombudsman, as well as swear in a new senator. All are welcome to attend.

General Support Services and Parking Services will close at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, May 24. Both departments, along with the rest of campus, will be closed Monday, May 27, for Memorial Day. Have a great holiday weekend!

The Retiree Luncheon has been postponed until the end of this fiscal year. If you have not already selected your retirement gift, please visit the retiree gift site and contact the Chancellor’s Office at (907) 786-1437 with your preference.

Jess Dyrdahl, a North Dakota native whose wanderlust landed her in Alaska, was a great fit to lead UAA’s Student Clubs and Greek Life program. It’s a big job nurturing 78 campus clubs and three Greek organizations, but she’s up to the challenge. Read more about Jess’s passion for developing student leaders at UAA.

Liza Gay wanted an enduring way to honor her late son’s memory, so she created a scholarship in his name, John Russell Gay. In August, following a long and brave fight with cancer, Liza passed away. She is survived by her husband, Kirk Gay, and a legacy of UAA student support. Her estate gift of $574K guarantees that hundreds of high-achieving science and aviation students at UAA will spend their time focused on studies rather than making ends meet. Learn more about the John Russell Gay awards.

“Teaching university-level courses is a form of serious intellectual work that can be as challenging and demanding as discovery research. When teaching is undertaken as a form of inquiry into the impact a course has on student understanding, the quality and depth of this work can be revealed through writing [...]

Jo and Peter Michalski’s commitment to UAA started years ago with an evening at the Department of Culinary Arts fundraiser, the Celebrity Chef Invitational. Even without the delicious meal, though, they would’ve been on board supporting UAA. Their philosophy of support is simple. “We give where we live,” says Jo. Read more about these generous College of Fellows members who have made Alaska their home for the last 40 years.

Maybe high school chemistry class was the last time you heard anyone mention the periodic table of elements. It lists 118 building blocks for everything in nature. Nitrogen is one of them.
If you are Matt Rogers, manager of the stable isotope lab for the Environment and Natural Resource Institute at UAA, nitrogen is a reliable key for unlocking nature’s backstories. Take a tiny piece of animal tissue or a few plant leaves, some water or some dirt, and with the help of high-end technology, he can detail the food web story behind any of it. Impress your friends; learn to explain stable isotope analysis in this story from the Anchorage Daily News.