UA Board of Regents approves resolution of appreciation for outgoing President Pat Pitney

May 22, 2026

At the May 21 full board meeting in Anchorage, the University of Alaska Board of Regents approved a resolution of appreciation for UA President Pat Pitney, who served as interim president starting in 2020 and as permanent president of the system since 2022. She is the first woman to hold the UA presidency in a permanent position. 

During the full Board Meeting on Thursday, Regents took the extraordinary step of granting President Pitney emeritus status in recognition of her distinguished service. Under her leadership, UA reversed a decade of enrollment decline, stabilized its fiscal outlook, and revitalized its connection to Alaska's workforce. 

The Board of Regents may bestow the title “President Emeritus” at its discretion to recognize significant, meritorious contributions to the university. Only three other presidents have been granted that title: UA’s first president Dr. Charles Bunnell, Dr. William R. Wood, and Mark R. Hamilton.

Below is the resolution. 

RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION FOR PAT PITNEY

WHEREAS, after more than 30 years of dedicated service to the University of Alaska (UA) and the State of Alaska, including serving as University of Alaska President since 2022, Pat Pitney plans to retire at the end of May 2026; and

WHEREAS, Pitney led the institution through difficult times, including the COVID-19 pandemic, with sure and steady strength, and steered the helm as UA reversed a decade of enrollment decline, stabilized the system's fiscal outlook, and revitalized UA's connection to Alaska's workforce; and

WHEREAS, Pitney started her career at UA in 1991 as a Research Analyst in Statewide Institutional Research, and continued as Manager (1995-98), Director of Budget and Institutional Research (1998-2004), Associate Vice President for Planning & Budget Development (2004-2007) and Vice President for Planning & Budget Development (2007-2008) before serving as Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services for the University of Alaska Fairbanks (2008-2014); and

WHEREAS, Pitney left UA in November 2014 to serve the State of Alaska as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and then as the Director of Legislative Finance before returning to serve as Interim UA President in August 2020; and

WHEREAS, Pitney wasn't seeking either the interim or permanent president position, but felt her skill set would be an asset to the University, initially agreeing to two years of service, and ultimately serving nearly six years; and

WHEREAS, Pitney initially focused on stability and reputation enhancement, and recently has led the Board’s focus on student recruitment, retention, and graduation, along with expanded scholarships and financial aid, seeing first-hand the positive impact it has had on students as well as positioning the university for long-term success; and

WHEREAS, throughout her time at UA, Pitney led and endorsed key initiatives across the UA System including: initiating the UAF Process Improvement Team (PIT) Crew and championing its expansion across the system, initiating the “Empower Alaska” public awareness campaign, overseeing the UA Foundation’s “For Alaska” capital campaign, securing resolution to UA’s long-standing Land Grant deficit, and forging stronger relationships with business and industry partners; and

WHEREAS, Pitney recognized and promoted the power and benefits of national and international engagement, advancing UA’s participation in the University of the Arctic (UArctic), the working groups of the Arctic Council, along with many other important international scientific or policy organizations; and

WHEREAS, Pitney understood and appreciated the values and rights of Alaska’s Native Peoples, embracing their engagement, upholding their wisdom and knowledge, and encouraging education and training of future Indigenous leaders; and

WHEREAS, recognizing the continuing need for new generations of strong leaders, Pitney established the Alaska Native Success Initiative (ANSI) and the Arctic Leadership Initiative (ALI) to enhance leadership skills and provide Alaska governments, communities, and businesses with strong graduates who are able to step into our workforce with confidence; and

WHEREAS, Pitney embraced UA’s role and responsibility as the source for post-secondary education and research across Alaska, leading with a drive to excellence and serving as a model of competence, compassion, and creativity; and

WHEREAS, Pitney served on multiple boards aligned with her passion for education and Alaska throughout her university career, including the Alaska Aerospace Corporation, the Alaska SeaLife Center, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards, Commonwealth North, the Denali Commission, First National Bank Alaska, and UArctic; and

WHEREAS, Pitney is a loyal Nanook and Seawolf sports fan and is an athlete herself, earning the first women’s shooting gold medal as a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team, volunteering as an assistant coach for the Nanooks’ rifle team, and representing the U.S. on the 2013 Sochi Olympic Torch Run to the North Pole featuring representatives of Arctic nations; and

WHEREAS, throughout all her years of service, Pitney invested selflessly in and contributed to the University of Alaska, and remained focused on doing what’s right for students, for Alaska, and for the long-term strength of the institution; and

WHEREAS, Pitney inspired ethical leadership qualities throughout the university system by exemplifying and implementing a leadership mantra that advocated cooperation, trust, and personal responsibility; and

WHEREAS, Pitney graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics in 1987 from Murray State University, and with a Masters in Business Administration with an emphasis in operational analysis, Cum Laude, from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1990, making her the first UA alumnus to serve as permanent president; and

WHEREAS, Pitney is looking forward to traveling, spending time with her mother and three children (all of them UA alumni themselves), sharing life’s important milestones, and watching her six grandchildren grow; 

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska officially recognizes and thanks Pat Pitney for her service to the University of Alaska System, and knows that she will be sincerely missed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska confers upon Pat Pitney the title 'President Emeritus' in recognition of her dedication and distinguished service; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be appropriately engrossed and conveyed to Pat Pitney with a copy incorporated into the official minutes of the May 20-21, 2026, meeting of the Board of Regents.