How We Got Here

1898

Alaska Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (AFES) established in Sitka, AK.

1915

Congress provides land grant for new college.

1917

University established as Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines.

1922

Classes begin.

1935

Name changes to University of Alaska (UA).

1935

Flora Jane Harper (Rampart) becomes first Alaska Native graduate.

1944

Geophysical Institute founded.

1956

Proposed Alaska constitution approved; includes specific provision for UA.

1959

Alaska becomes 49th state; legislature passes, and Governor Egan vetoes, university land grant bill.

1963

Institute of Arctic Biology established.

1987

UA regents merge university and community college systems into single system.

1998

Alaska Scholars program created.

1999

International Artic Research Center established.

2008–2009

UA and ANCSA Regional Association form Alaska Native Education and Research Council.

2009

Alaska legislature approves major expansion of Education Tax Credit program.

2014

Alaska Airlines Center opens, providing new home for Seawolf teams.

2016

UA embarks on Strategic Pathways: comprehensive system-wide review of programs and services.

2016

UA regents set 2025 goal that 90% of K-12 teachers will be Alaskan.

2017

Samantha M. Mack becomes first UA graduate to receive Rhodes Scholarship.

2017

UA partners with Department for Early Education and Development to train new generation of Alaskan educators.

2017

Administrative barriers lift between UA campuses; credits from coursework across campuses become easily transferable.

2017

Governor approves statewide goal of 65% Alaskans to have some postsecondary education.

2018

UA President launches broad initiative to encourage the best Alaskan minds to design the future University and its central role in Alaskan life.

2018

UA Foundation Board of Directors and UA Board of Regents approve plan for university’s first ever statewide philanthropic campaign.

2018

UA Gateway—a single point of entry into entire UA system—launches.

2020

Innovation and Entrepreneurship degree established, creating link between Schools of Management/Business and Engineering as Alaska assumes role as hub for tech development.

2020

Educational Business Model Incubator established to explore and develop alternative funding models for K-12 and UA systems.

2020

State enacts program that provides K-12 teachers who commit to staying in Alaska 5% of their tuition back for every year they teach in state.

2021

After successful pilot from 2019-2021 using blockchain based credentialing, academic achievements recorded on blockchain.

2021

FabX Lab founded with goal of reducing imports of manufactured goods by 2041.

2021

UA announces Center for Blue Ocean Economy, which, in partnership with Bristol Bay Sockeye Fishery and Regenerative Policy Institute, will fulfill need for newly skilled workers in automated and sustainable fishery technologies.

2022

Alaska Center for UAS Integration sets another distance world record for Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight.

2022

University shifts to flexible enrollment, allowing multiple starting dates for incoming students, furthering its reach and adaptability in educating all ages of students, in any phase of life.

2022

UAA Seawolf and UAF Nanook athletes dominate Winter Olympics in Beijing, and account for 9 of 41 overall U.S. medals.

2022

Thanks to effort of Educational Business Model Incubator, legislation passes that gives UA the equivalency of its rightful land grant; UA charts its path towards financial self-sustainability with its sovereign wealth fund integrated with new Permanent Capital Insitute.

2023

UAF and UAA women’s hockey teams play each other for national championship.

2023

University of Alaska reaches philanthropic campaign goal.

2024

New construction design criteria created by Cold Climates Housing Research Center and passed through state legislation requires carbon neutral energy use in all new construction projects.

2025

School of Medicine opens, specializing in rural care and capitalizing on Alaska's technology strengths in telemedicine, automated delivery systems, and innovative approaches to state’s unique population distribution.

2025

UAF reaches milestone of graduating 100 PhDs, qualifying it to reach Carnegie R1 status.

2025

90% of educators hired in Alaska earn their degree from UA.

2025

65% of Alaskans possess postsecondary credential.

2026

As tensions relax in post-Putin era, new home of University of the Arctic is at UA, and includes universities in all Arctic nations.

2027

Due to installation of new high-speed fiber lines, high bandwidth and wireless technology covers entire state, easily accessible and affordable to all.

2028

UA launches Internship Educational Model, in partnership with industry, government, and non-profit leaders; in lieu of traditional classes, students participate in internships customized to students' goals.

2028

UAF pilots become first ever Collegiate Drone Racing Champions.

2028

Sustainably packaged foods from Alaska's seaweed industry become most popular sources of protein across the Arctic.

2030

ANSEP enrollment tops 10,000 students and boasts 92% college completion rate. Graduates from program have become leaders in many facets of Alaskan life; ANSEP spawns similar programs across academic fields.

2030

"Smart Grid" technology developed at UA’s National Microgrid Energy Lab widespread in developing nations.

2030

Alaska breaks into top ten states in New Economy Index.

2031

Learning Pods installed in every community across Alaska; these mixed reality environments connect to learning sites and are being modeled in other rural communities around the world.

2033

First un-piloted, automated passenger flights transport passengers between remote regions, creating more frequent and inexpensive transport of supplies, medicine, and people.

2033

UA recognized by Department of Defense for pioneering new methods of treating PTSD in veterans using indigenous knowledge and medicines combined with advanced visualization technologies.

2037

Alaska achieves 80/80/80 goal three years ahead of target: 80% food locally produced, state reaches 80% energy independence due to expertise in microgrids, 80% workforce has some postsecondary education.

2039

UA endowment tops $1 billion mark.

2040

ANSEP graduate receives Nobel Prize in Medicine.

2040

UA receives national recognition as model 21st century Land Grant University.