University of Alaska Foundation

08/31/2026

The UA Foundation's Anchorage Office has moved to:

1835 Bragaw Street, Suite 249
Anchorage, AK 99508

08/27/2026

A warm welcome to the new UA President, Matt Cooper.

Welcome from new UA President Matt Cooper 👋

"Welcome to another academic year! It’s an honor to have been selected to lead this institution.

I am grateful to the University community for your strength, resilience, and dedication as I begin my work as the University of Alaska’s 18th president. The success of our University rests on all of our shoulders.

I'm excited to be back at UA and to support and advance our shared mission of inspiring learning, and advancing and disseminating knowledge through teaching, research, and service, with an emphasis on the Arctic and its people.

I look forward to getting to know many of you over the coming weeks and months.

Thanks for all you do for our institution and Alaska."

08/27/2026

Join us in welcoming Stephanie Monahan, the new director of strategic initiatives.

Stephanie will coordinate cross-functional teams and initiatives within the UA Foundation and across the University of Alaska, helping turn strategic priorities into coordinated action.

She brings extensive experience helping organizations build on their strengths, engage their people and translate strategic priorities into meaningful outcomes.

Her work has focused on facilitation, leadership alignment, employee engagement and satisfaction, strategic planning and organizational change.

Welcome, Stephanie Monahan!

08/26/2026

Today is National Dog Day and we're celebrating the loyal companions who brighten the lives of our UA Foundation team.

As you honor your furry friends, take this opportunity during August Make-A-Will Month to consider their future. Don’t forget to include your pets in your estate plan to make sure they’re cared for with the same love and attention they give you.

The UA Foundation offers resources to help you create a will in under 20 minutes. Reach out to get started.

*Fun fact: The UA Foundation once shared a generous estate gift with two cats, Ping and Tung.

08/24/2026

Students at the University of Alaska (University of Alaska Fairbanks, UAA: University of Alaska Anchorage and University of Alaska Southeast) have returned to school and we want to share some encouragement from the UA community as we come into the new academic year.

“Focus on good grades, even when classes get harder." - UA Community Member

“Have high standards when possible. Have high expectations as often as you can.” - UA Community Member

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help. People WANT to support you—let them.” - UA Community Member

Students, your journey matters and your UA community is behind you from day one. Here’s to a strong start and an even stronger year ahead.

08/21/2026

The UA Foundation's Anchorage office is moving! Our new location and mailing address, effective August 31, will be:

1835 Bragaw Street, Suite 249
Anchorage, AK 99508

Should you have any questions or need assistance during the transition, please contact us at (907) 786-1111 or [email protected].

Conveniently located just one building over from the current office location, we look forward to welcoming you to the new space this fall.

08/20/2026

Meet Amber! As Executive Director of Advancement Operations at the UA Foundation, Amber leads the teams responsible for managing charitable gifts and funds and administering the UA scholarship system. She oversees the development of policies, processes and the systems that make giving and scholarship opportunities possible. The team’s work is ultimately about ensuring donors’ wishes are honored and their generosity makes the difference they intend.

Amber began working for the University of Alaska in 2004 as a Data Specialist in the UAA: University of Alaska Anchorage’s Advancement Office and moved to the UA Foundation in 2009. She met her husband while attending UAA and holds an associate’s degree from UAA and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Alaska Southeast.

Amber has lived all over as the daughter of two U.S. Air Force veterans, but has called Alaska home since 1997. Outside of work, Amber enjoys spending time with friends, camping, reading, puzzling, and most recently has been attempting to learn the ways of sourdough.

08/17/2026

Dr. Tonia Dousay is the dean of the UAA School of Education at UAA: University of Alaska Anchorage and a first-generation college graduate. The daughter of two U.S. Navy veterans, she grew up understanding the value of service and hard-won opportunity, values that still shape how she leads today. UAA is part of her professional legacy and the School of Education is her home.

“I'd known for years I needed to prepare a will, but I struggled to pin down concretely what kind of lasting impact I could actually leave,” said Dousay. “Naming UAA as a beneficiary of my estate is my way of helping sustain that work and making sure we have the resources to keep fulfilling this mission long after I'm gone.”

More than ten years of daydreaming and putting it off became something real in a single afternoon after utilizing the free tools provided by the UA Foundation. It removed the intimidation factor of "estate planning" for Dousay and made the difference between good intentions and an actual plan.

It’s Make-A-Will Month, join Dean Dousay and turn your intentions into a plan. Contact the UA Foundation for free tools and resources.

We can’t thank you enough, Dean Dousay, for including UAA in your will.

08/14/2026

Meet Emily! As Executive Director of Transformational Gifts, she has the honor to work shoulder to shoulder with generous donors as they align their passions with supporting opportunities at the University of Alaska. Emily works closely with development colleagues at each university (UAA: University of Alaska Anchorage, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Alaska Southeast) as donors often wish to make a transformational impact at more than one university.

Born and raised in Paxson, Emily is a 3rd generation Alaskan who grew up off of the Denali Highway dog mushing, cross-country skiing, attending a one-room school house and living life to the fullest in rural Alaska. As a young adult, she lived in Japan for two years, first as an exchange student in an intensive language program via UAF, then as the Coordinator of International Relations for the Consulate General of Japan. A proud two-time UAF alum ('97, '08), Emily's career at UA began at the University of Alaska Museum of the North in 2003. Her path led her to serve as UAF’s Director of Development and Alumni Relations, before she moved over to the UA Foundation in a principal gifts role.

Emily loves to spend time with her husband, former Nanook hockey player, Erik Drygas, and their two girls. As a family, they prioritize time at their cabin near Denali National Park. Emily is an avid hiker, berry picker and cross country skier, spending any minute she can in community and in the mountains.

08/14/2026

What an incredible centennial gift from the UAF Alumni Association - thank you! And, congratulations on 100 years - that is a tremendous milestone.

A Gift to Celebrate 100 Years! 🎉💯

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the UAF Alumni Association has selected the Walt and Marita Babula Planetarium as the recipient of its $100,000 centennial gift!

This extraordinary investment will help to expand educational programming and connect visitors from around the world with space science, Alaska's stories, and groundbreaking research happening at UAF.

Thank you to the UAF Alumni Association for investing in the future of UAF students and the community! Congrats on 100 years!

More Info: www.uaf.edu/news/100000-planetarium-gift-celebrates-alumni-association-centennial.php


📷: Rhonda Widener, UAF Alumni Association Board President with Pat Druckenmiller, UA Museum of the North Director