An update on the UAA Chancellor search

At the start of the Spring semester, UA Interim President Pitney provided the UA community with an update on the search for a University of Alaska Anchorage chancellor. The search will be national in scope and it is Pitney’s intent to “hire a chancellor who is deeply committed to and interested in the future of Alaska,” she said. It is expected that Pitney will make this appointment no later than the end of April, with the new chancellor starting over the summer. 

The search process will be transparent, participative, and deliberate with ample opportunity for input. The position was initially posted on December 23, 2020. As of Jan. 11, Pitney had already received 17 applications from international, national, and local candidates. 

President Pitney has appointed a search committee that will be tri-chaired by Aleesha Towns-Bain, Executive Director of the Bristol Bay Native Corporation Education Foundation; Kelly Smith, UAA Faculty Senate President; and Preston Simmons, Chief Executive Providence Alaska Region. Other participants on the search committee as recommended by governance groups include: 

  • Christi Bell, Administrator
  • Leslie Byrd, Staff
  • Matt Cullen, Faculty
  • Robin Dalhman, Faculty
  • Gokhan Karahan, Faculty
  • John Moore, Staff
  • Arlene Schmuland, Faculty
  • Hilary Seitz, Faculty
  • Sharyl Toscano, Faculty
  • Toby Widdicombe, Faculty
  • Tuan Graziano, Student

CHRO Steve Patin will consult with the committee, which will be supported by the UA and UAA communications teams. Immediate tasks of the committee will be to:

  • Propose a search process
  • Develop and publish a position profile
  • Advertise locally and nationally
  • Communicate progress broadly and transparently 

Updates on the process and timeline can be found at www.alaska.edu/pres/uaa-chancellor.