To commemorate Juneteenth, UAF Summer Sessions hosted a Music in the Garden celebration Thursday, June 18. Families across Fairbanks gathered in the Georgeson Botanical Gardens to listen to music that pays homage to Black heritage and celebrate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. More than 900 people attended the event.

Outside Arctic Java April 17, one could hear loud shouts of praise or annoyance, and jaunty, medieval music surrounding the vicinity. Upon closer inspection, there were smiling faces around tables with  plastic swords ready to be picked up by adventurous jousters.

Undergraduate students from the University of Alaska Fairbanks gathered in the lobby of the Charles W. Davis Concert Hall Thursday to present projects funded by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity, or URSA. 

Two University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers are crossing more than 1,500 miles of Alaska’s western and Arctic coast by snowmachine this spring, not just to study climate change, but to hear directly from the people living it.

From century-old journals to hard drives full of digital data, the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Archives is on a mission to preserve the diverse history of the Polar North and make it accessible to the world. Located on the second floor of the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, the archive serves global researchers while navigating the modern challenges of space limits and digital decay.

Last week, veteran journalist and current Snedden Endowed Chair of Journalism Paula Dobbyn, who holds more than three decades of experience, lectured on the power of local journalism and the state of the industry today.

On March 2, the mother and stepmother of Gabrielle Venora Petito came to the University of Alaska Fairbanks to discuss what the warning signs are of domestic violence. The two were going on a tour visiting several schools in Alaska to share Gabby’s story and raise domestic violence awareness.

Michelle Nijhuis, an environmental journalist who has worn many hats over her career, gave a lecture on the positives and negatives of modern journalism and what is needed in industry.

Over the weekend, athletes from the University of Alaska Fairbanks ski, rifle and swim teams took part in the NCAA Championships. With four All-Americans and two individual titles, the Nanooks presented a successful end of the NCAA season.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks’ hockey team ended the 2025-26 season winning the first edition of the United Collegiate Hockey Cup 4-3 against Lindenwood. The Nanooks took home the tournament trophy after a tight final game ending in overtime on March 7. This is their second title of 2026 after the Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup win against Anchorage.

In February UAF’s Nordic skier Rosie Fordham competed at the XXV Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. She took part in 5 out of the 6 events dedicated to nordic skiing for the Australian team. Fordham sat down with The Sun Star to reflect on her training process, Fairbanks’ upsides and downsides, and offered insights on ways UAF could support the development of its endurance athletes. 

The University of Alaska Fairbanks basketball teams celebrated their seniors during the last home game held Feb. 28 at the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium. The women's team fell 73-58 to Western Oregon while the men's team won 82-74 against Western Oregon. Before the games began, each senior was honored in a celebratory ceremony, surrounded by their families, friends and loved ones. Names, stats, a brief bio and heartfelt words from the coaches were shared with the crowd.

The Nanooks secured a 6-2 victory against the UAA Seawolves last Saturday in Anchorage, winning the team the Governor’s Cup title for the 15th consecutive year. With UAF already having the title secured, the teams faced off in two final homecourt games in the Carlson Center this Friday and Saturday.

Junior Dorka Dancsok set a new program record for the University of Alaska Fairbanks. On Thursday, Feb. 12, winning the 400-yard individual medley at the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference, or PCSC, Championships. Dancsok, a junior, finished in 4 minutes and 23.31 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded by a UAF swimmer in the event; she improved on her own record from December by more than a second.

Will you be my Valentine, Nook? Over Valentine’s weekend UAF women’s basketball hosted Simon Fraser University and Western Washington University on February 12 and 14. With the season coming to a close at the end of the month, the Nanooks are hungry for a win in their remaining six games. The Nanooks lost 54-92 to Simon Fraser; they lost 28-60 against Western Washington.

Five current or former athletes from the University of Alaska Fairbanks will represent their home countries at the Winter Olympics starting next week in Milano, Italy. 

The University of Alaska Fairbanks women’s and men’s basketball teams hosted the Montana State University Billings Yellowjackets and the Seattle Pacific University Falcons for a pair of GNAC matchups on January 22 and 24. 

The Alaska Nanooks competed at home for the last time this season, hosting Westmont College on Friday and Saturday, January 16 and 17, for a two day heated rivalry. The Nanooks secured a 100-86 victory over the Westmont Warriors on Friday, but fell short 91-95 in a close battle on Saturday. 

The Nanooks women’s volleyball team dominated the Seattle Pacific Falcons 3–0 Thursday night at the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium during Military Appreciation Night.

The team will face off against the University of Alaska Anchorage Volleyball team during the NCAA Division II women’s volleyball championships December 11-13 in South Dakota.

On Halloween, the University of Alaska Fairbanks women’s swim team had their third meet of the season, this time against Simon Fraser University. They competed against Simon Fraser again on Saturday, but lost both days, despite a great effort. The score on Halloween was 108 to 59, and the next day was 100 to 48.