University of Alaska Foundation

UA Foundation President Tlisa Northcutt, Investment Committee member Brian Holst, and CFO Alex Slivka just finished attending the Institutional Investor Endowments & Foundations Roundtable East in Boston. It provided a great opportunity to meet and engage with peers and attend sessions on leadership, investment and academics.

At the end, Alex (on the right) facilitated the closing keynote conversation, The New Cold War - Capital, Conflict, and the Race for the Arctic, with Kenneth R. Rosen, whose writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic and WIRED.

Meet Nicole! As the Director of Fund Management, she oversees the fund distribution process and works closely with all UA campuses to honor donor intent. Nicole leads efforts in fund management and endowment reporting, helping to improve processes that support philanthropic giving across the university.

Before joining the UA Foundation, she served as the director of Career Services at the University of Alaska Fairbanks following two years as a Career Services Advisor. In those roles, she led large-scale projects and events while fostering meaningful connections with students, staff, faculty, employers and community stakeholders. Prior to her work in higher education, Nicole was also an elementary school teacher, teaching in both Alaska and Arizona. Across every stage of her career, she has remained passionate about helping others grow, succeed, and feel connected to their communities.

Outside of work, Nicole enjoys spending time with friends and with her husband and their four dogs — Bjorn, Odin, Freyja, and Loki. She loves traveling, fishing, camping, exploring new restaurants, reading, baking, practicing yoga, and spending time outdoors. A lifelong learner at heart, Nicole is currently working toward her yoga instructor certification and is always seeking new experiences, knowledge, and opportunities for growth.

Fun Fact: Today is Nicole Goff's five-year anniversary at UA!

Congratulations to our colleague and friend, Dave Woodley, UA Foundation chief data officer, as he is retiring after more than 30 years at the University of Alaska, including 20 with the UA Foundation.

With a strong interest in innovation and technology, his knowledge, expertise and leadership have helped advance philanthropy across UA. Alongside his team, Dave has helped build and manage digital the systems and processes used daily.

We want to thank Dave for his dedication and celebrate him as he retires.

It isn’t every day that you get to work alongside the nation’s first ambassador-at-large for Arctic affairs. Today, at the UA Foundation Board meeting, we took the opportunity to recognize Mike Sfraga for his leadership as University of Alaska Fairbanks interim chancellor.

Since returning to his alma mater last July, Mike has brought exceptional Arctic expertise, strategic insight, and a network of connections that have helped set the stage for the future of America’s Arctic university and the University of Alaska system. True to form, Mike has led with a contagious sense of humor and energy.

While he closes out his last week in the interim role, we know he will continue to be an incredible advocate for the university. Thanks, Mike!

We are excited to share the news that Col. Russell Vander Lugt, Ph.D. will be the next University of Alaska Fairbanks chancellor.

University of Alaska has selected Col. Russell Vander Lugt, Ph.D., to serve as next University of Alaska Fairbanks chancellor.

A 20-year Alaska resident and UAF alumnus, Col. Vander Lugt holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Arctic and Northern History from UAF and a master's degree in Arctic and Northern Studies, also from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He currently serves as Commander of the 11th Airborne Division's Arctic Aviation Command at Fort Wainwright and will join UAF on September 8, 2026.

Dr. Larry Hinzman, former UAF vice chancellor of research and current director of the UA Arctic Leadership Initiative, will serve as interim chancellor through the summer.

Full details: https://www.alaska.edu/opa/enews/2026/0527/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_y3w5dud3t5

In observance of Memorial Day, our offices will be closed Monday, May 25, 2026. Wishing everyone a safe and reflective holiday.

Thank you President Pitney for your leadership of the University of Alaska and service on our UA Foundation Board of Directors. So much has been accomplished to advance the mission and vision because of your many years of dedication. You have built bridges between the university and the community, overseen the streamlining of scholarships to make it easier for students to get support, and have led major philanthropic initiatives that strengthen ties to Alaska's workforce and Indigenous communities. We wish you all the best in retirement, with the joy of being able to focus on your family, and the best that an Alaskan summer can offer.

We recognize someone in this post! To Amber Gichard and each of these graduates - well done and congratulations!

Congratulations to our 2026 Master of Public Administration graduates!

We’re proud to celebrate all of this year’s graduates, including three current UA employees and one former: Amber Gichard, Michelle Nakamura, Casey Bain, and Jacob Durrance, alongside Dr. Kathy DiLorenzo, Associate Professor of Public Administration.

Meet Ari! You may have met Ari previously in the roles of Administrative Assistant and Office Manager. Ari currently works with the Finance team as an Accountant, helping to meet the needs of the organization behind the scenes.

Ari helps process procurement requests for purchase orders, serves as a liaison between contract administrators and procurement officers, and helps to ensure that payments are made to vendors. Ari also supports the various foundation teams through expense purchases and reconciling monthly operating expenses so that office operations run smoothly. Ari is a vital part of our fiscal year-end, calendar year-end and audit support staff.

Ari came to Alaska in 2016 from Minnesota. Ari says the experience was life changing and believes that living in a small university town is engaging and entertaining, seeking out ways to enjoy the arts, theater and special events. Ari believes that when you stop being your own barrier, you open up unexpected doors and welcome opportunities to discover new things about yourself.

Outside of work, Ari enjoys travel, reading, outdoor photography and spending time leading and participating in community activities.