杏吧原创F Chancellor Search

In May of 2025, 杏吧原创F Chancellor Dan White announced his intent to retire at the end of July 2025.  杏吧原创 President Pat Pitney named Ambassador Mike Sfraga (ret.), Ph.D., as interim 杏吧原创F chancellor. President Pitney has now announced the search committee which will  guide the search for 杏吧原创F's next permanent Chancellor. 

杏吧原创F Chancellor Position Profile

The University of Alaska Fairbanks (鈥溞影稍碏鈥) is inviting applications and nominations for the position of Chancellor.

Please visit the 杏吧原创 Careers site for the .

 Search Timeline:

  • Week of September 1, 2025: Recruitment Launch 
  • October 20, 2025: Committee Begins Rolling Review to Identify Semi-finalists
  • December 2025: Committee engages with WittKieffer
  • December 9-10, 2025: WittKieffer at 杏吧原创F
    • 杏吧原创F Community Listening Sessions: Scroll down to see the full schedule.
  • January 2026: Continue to recruit applicants
  • February 2026: WittKieffer updates committee on search progress and prepares to review applicants
  • March 2026: Search committee begins full review of applicants
  • April 2026: Search committee conducts Zoom interviews
  • May 2026:
    • Candidates are invited to on-campus interviews
    • Candidate is selected and hired
  • July 2026: New chancellor starts

Search Firm Listening Sessions, Dec. 9-10

  • 杏吧原创F students, staff, and faculty, and community members are invited to provide input and feedback on the characteristics and qualities they would like to see in 杏吧原创F鈥檚 next permanent chancellor.
  • Listening sessions will be hosted during the week of December 8 in Fairbanks by WittKieffer, the executive search firm contracted by the Board of Regents to assist in the chancellor's search.
  • Students, staff, and faculty at 杏吧原创F will be able to attend their listening sessions in-person or virtually; a 杏吧原创 login will be required to register for and attend virtual sessions.
  • Members of the general public may attend the In-person listening sessions scheduled for Fairbanks.

Latest Updates

杏吧原创F Chancellor Search Committee

The search committee for 杏吧原创F鈥檚 next permanent chancellor is charged with publicizing the search, vetting potential candidates, and making recommendations on finalists to President Pitney. The committee includes members representing a broad array of stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, community campuses, and key community partners. The search committee is co-chaired by 杏吧原创F Faculty Senate President Dr. Leah Berman and 杏吧原创F Board of Advisors and 杏吧原创 Foundation Board of Directors member Jason Gootee. In addition to the co-chairs, the committee includes:

  • Derek Bastille - 杏吧原创F Staff Council President and 杏吧原创F Staff Member
  • Jackson Nelson - AS杏吧原创F President and 杏吧原创F Student
  • Dr. Jessica Black - 杏吧原创F Associate Vice Chancellor, Rural Community and Native Education 
  • Dr. Taryn Lopez - 杏吧原创F Research Faculty, Geophysical Institute  
  • Dr. Brock Anundson - Athletics Director, 杏吧原创F Nanooks
  • Dr. Mark Hermann - Associate Dean, College of Business and Security Management
  • Haley Hanson - Director, Kuskokwim Campus, 杏吧原创F Community Campus
  • Frank Paskvan - 杏吧原创F INE Affiliate Professor
  • Togi Letuligasenoa - President, ORCS Business Unit, Calista Brice 
  • Dr. Brandon Boylan - 杏吧原创F Political Science Department Chair and Director of Arctic and Northern Studies
  • Dr. Bob McCoy - Director, 杏吧原创F Geophysical Institute 

Key Search Committee Responsibilities: 

  1. Communicate broadly throughout the search
  2. Develop, recommend, and publish a search committee process and timeline
  3. Identify and recommend desirable attributes for a 杏吧原创F Chancellor
  4. Share the position advertisement
  5. Identify and develop screening criteria
  6. Solicit a diverse candidate pool
  7. Inform the candidates about the university and the position
  8. Evaluate the candidates against the desired attributes
  9. Narrow the candidate pool to three to five 
  10. Provide information about the candidate pool 
  11. Socialize the finalists with the university community through town hall meetings and other events, and collect feedback.

Support:

  • Communications Support: 杏吧原创F Executive Director for University Advancement Tom Hough, System Office Director of Public Affairs Jonathon Taylor, and other communication team members, including Marmian Grimes, Jenn Baker, and Monique Musick will help the committee communicate broadly to include websites, written updates, town halls, and other engagements. 
  • 杏吧原创 Interim Chief Human Resources Officer Nickole Conley will assist the committee in an advisory capacity. Other staffing assistance will be determined soon.