About Us
The University of Alaska is committed to working closely with all federal and state agencies and private enterprise to further develop collaboration and new exposures for future growth in all areas of science and technology.
The duties of the Vice President for Academics, Students & Research, directs a division of services including Academic Affairs, Research, Corporate Programs, Student Success, Health Programs, and Distance Education. The Vice President works with the UA campuses on academic and research initiatives and collaborations to promote research in Alaska.
Common Calendar 2018-2022
Contact Us
Academics, Students & Research
Office phone: 907-450-8019
Fax: 907-450-8002
Physical Address
Butrovich Building, Suite 202
2025 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99775-5000
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 755000
Fairbanks, AK 99775-5000
Accreditation Resources
An Assessment of Single Accreditation verses Three Separate Accreditations
News and Updates
FY19 Faculty Initiative Fund Awardees
Tier I Proposal Awards:
- Getu Hailu – Innovative Solutions for Sensible Thermal Storage Systems in Cold Climates - $76,000
- Diane Hirshberg – The Role of Education in Supporting Self-Determined Sustainable Development in Alaska - $90,000
- Nicole Misarti – Solving a growing problem in marine carbon stable isotope research - $75,000
Tier II Proposal Awards:
- Matthew Wooller – Tracking the foot-steps of an ancient mammoth in Alaska: A project promoting inter-university state-of-the-art and innovative research - $30,000
- Yin Zhang – Polymer-Alternating-Solvent Injection: A New Enhanced Oil Recovery Method for Alaska North Slope Heavy Oils - $29,969
- Yongwon Kim – Significance of non-growing season CO2 emission in tundra and boreal forest soils of Alaska - $19,000
- Sonia Nagorski – Novel investigation into the magnitude of plastic pollution in coastal southeast Alaska - $18,000
- Hattie Harvey – Project SAID: Serving Alaska’s Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities: An Inter-University and Community Collaboration - $29,000
- Angela Bowers – Integrating Macro-algae Culture into Alaska Salmon Enhancement Aquaculture: A Resource for Teaching with Ecological and Economical Benefits for Alaska - $25,300
- Jingqiu Mao – Rural Alaska Air Quality with Big Data Analysis - $30,000
- Derek Sikes – Creation of a DNA Barcode Library for Alaska’s Freshwater Aquatic Arthropods to Facilitate Research and Education - $29,451
Tier III Proposal Awards:
- William Howard – Development of Two Types of Platinum-Based Drugs for Destroying Human Leukemia Cells - $10,000
- Herminia Din – Our Plastic Ocean vs. Our Clean Ocean - $9,750
- Kevin Berry – Risky Business: Implications of Decisions Under Uncertainty for Environmental Policy - $9,535
- Scott Goddard – The mega-analysis of sequential experimental data in engineering research - $9,395
- Han Donker – What are the Corporate Values of Alaska Native Businesses? - $9,400
Click Here to see the Awardees' Abstracts
UAA School of Education updates & FAQs
The Board of Regents, pursuant to Regents’ Policy 10.06.010.C, directed President Johnsen on March 1, 2019 to conduct an expedited exceptional review of the educator preparation programs at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) focused on: the viability of maintaining programs at UAA and seeking CAEP accreditation beginning 2020; providing programs in Anchorage through the accredited programs at UAF and UAS; and evaluating the long-term viability of programs unaffected by the CAEP accreditation revocation.
On April 8, 2019 the Board of Regents approved a recommendation to discontinue the initial licensure programs at UAA; teach-out through transfer of students, and maintain initial teacher preparation programs in Anchorage through the University of Alaska Fairbanks/University of Alaska Southeast; ceasing UAA programs as of August 31, 2019 when State Board approval expires. Read news release
These FAQs address the impacts of this decision. Updated April 9. Download FAQ
FY19 Faculty Initiative Fund
In accordance with Article 15.10 of the 2017-2019 Collective Bargaining Agreement between the University of Alaska and United Academics, the University will allocate $500,000 toward the Faculty Initiative Fund for FY20 (beginning on July 1, 2019). All UNAC represented faculty (including those that moved into UNAC from UAFT) are eligible to apply for an award.Attached is the Request for Proposals. The deadline for submission is February 1, 2019, and awards will be announced in April 2019. The RFP has been modified from the FY19 RFP. Most notable is the creation of three tiers of funding. Please circulate this RFP to faculty at your university. The RFP will also be posted on the Academics, Students and Research website. FY19 Faculty Initiative Fund Submissions are now being accepted. Please use your UA email when submitting. For any questions please contact Kelly James at 450-8019 or via email at kajames6@alaska.edu
Click HERE for the Faculty Initiative Fund RFP
Click HERE to submit your proposal
Click HERE to view abstracts of FY18 Faculty Awardees
FY18 Faculty Initiative Fund Awards
- Dr. Brandon Briggs,et al:"Advancing Microbial Resources for Mining Alaskan Critical Elements"
- Dr. Jaunelle Celaire, et al: "An Evening of Mozart"
- Dr. Scott Christian, et al: "Culturally Responsive Professional Schools for Alaska"
- Dr. Jason Fellman, et al: "Quantifying hydrologically-driven lateral carbon fluxes in Alaska’s coastal temperate rainforest "
- Dr. Micah Hahn, et al: "Development of the Municipality of Anchorage Climate Action Plan through a Campus-Community Partnership"
- Dr. Anayansi Lombardero: "Addressing Insomnia in an Effort to Prevent and Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among Alaska Natives"
- Dr. Sarah Stanley, et al: "Learning Across, Inside, and Out: Mobilizing State and Community Learning Networks From the Prison to the University"
- Dr. Charlene Stern, et al: "Strengthening Inter-university Indigenous Scholarship and Alaska Native Student Success at the University of Alaska"
UA Common Calendar 2018-2022
Click HERE to view the UA Common Calendar
Bridging the Gap Between Classroom and Real Life
It’s early December and the last day of capstone class for Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Shannon Donovan and her group of about 25 students. She leads the group in one final lecture before exams and students scatter for the holiday break the following week. It’s been a busy fall semester for these juniors and seniors, who on top of their required capstone coursework, had a unique project to add to their university experience and resume. These students, mostly environment and society majors, have been working on the Municipality of Anchorage’s (MOA) Climate Action Plan (CAP), and may potentially see the fruits of their hard work turn into actual city policy that will help Anchorage residents.
Click HERE to view the full story.
Five-year Alaska Satellite Facility contract worth $48.6 million

NASA has awarded a $48.6 million contract to the University of Alaska Fairbanks to continue operating the Alaska Satellite Facility’s synthetic aperture radar data center at the UAF Geophysical Institute.This is a competitive renewal of a previous contract. The new contract will be in place through Sept. 30, 2023. The Alaska Satellite Facility has archived about six petabytes of SAR satellite data, and the volume is growing at a rate of about two petabytes a year. The facility gathers much of the data using antennas on the Fairbanks campus and at a site on the Richardson Highway south of Fairbanks.
Click HERE to view the full story.
A Generation's Debt Inspires UAA's Public Service Scholars to Open a Dialogue for Collaborative Solutions

university students nationwide are determined to search for viable, nonpartisan solutions to address the country’s debt crisis through the Up to Us Campaign, a nationwide, campus-based program that allows students a platform to engage in collaborative dialogue over this contentious issue.UAA’s Center for Community Engagement and Learning (CCEL) Public Service Scholars (PSS) are hoping through education and creating an open conversation with their peers and community members, that Alaskans will understand the consequences of the growing national debt, and what it means for the 49th state.
Click HERE for the full story.
Special UAS Scholarship Focuses On Southeast Students Who've Overcome Challenges

For the third year in a row, the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) is offering the UAS Verna Carrigan Promise Scholarship for talented Southeast Alaska high school seniors planning to attend UAS’ Juneau Campus full-time in the fall. The special focus of this scholarship is on students who may not have the highest grade point average but who’ve overcome significant challenges in life and who are motivated to succeed. UAS is reaching out to Southeast Alaskan high school principals and guidance counselors, superintendents, and other adults to share this opportunity with prospective recipients and encouraging them to apply by the February 15 deadline.
Click HERE for the full story.