Local artist Ree Nancarrow celebrated the opening of her newest exhibit, “Observations: Two Decades of Change,” at the University of Alaska Museum of the North on Aug. 14. The exhibit features a collection of handmade quilts that often center around the theme of environmental change.

Not everyone gets to watch a traffic stop from the passenger seat of a police car. For University Police Officer Jake Spencer, it is one of many responsibilities that comes with working in law enforcement. Spending a few hours with Spencer, however, revealed less about emergencies and arrests than about what police work looks like when nothing is going wrong. That afternoon brought two traffic stops and one emergency call. Most of the patrol, however, was spent talking about the other parts of his job.

Twenty-six years ago, Russell Vander Lugt first set foot in Alaska as a newly commissioned second lieutenant, during his honeymoon with his wife, Rebekah. Today, he is retiring from active duty to become the next Chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

While this transition might seem abrupt, Vander Lugt sees the role as a different way of serving both the state and nation, hoping to shape the growth and future of the 49 th state. To Vander Lugt, this opportunity comes at a timely moment as Alaska sits at the dawn of what he calls “Arctic Century,” a moment in which UAF needs to capitalize on growth, opportunities, and ever-increasing geopolitical importance.

When you enter, you walk into a space with walls covered in bookshelves and a dark and moody, yet cozy vibe. A small fireplace is on the left wall, warming up the space during the winter months and velvet green couches offer comfortable places to sit and lounge in while you shop. The big front store window brings in light and bathes the entire store in sunshine. This is the experience of stepping into the Wildfire Bookstore.

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.

Rainy weather didn’t deter a crowd from gathering at Ester Community Park for the fifth annual Fairbanks Fungi Festival, a day filled with mushrooms, food, costumes and family-friendly activities.

Many of the newer Nanooks are looking forward to experiencing campus life and can’t wait to see what awaits them throughout the upcoming school year. Party in the Park heightened this excitement as the University of Alaska Fairbanks welcomed students back to campus Aug. 27 with its  annual celebration of Party in the Park celebration at Constitution Park!

There will be mud! Last Sunday, new student orientation leaders in collaboration with Nanook Recreation hosted a mud volleyball tournament in the Tanana parking lot. Eight teams of students faced off in a battle for the winning title. The tournament also had a complimentary barbecue and other field games such as spikeball for students to enjoy. 

Twenty-one students in UAF’s Emerging Scholars program traveled to Denali National Park on Aug. 14, where they hiked near the Savage River and watched a dog mushing demonstration before boarding the Alaska Railroad for a four-hour trip back to Fairbanks.

Peonies may be one of Alaska’s most successful specialty crops, and the Georgeson Botanical garden celebrated that legacy during its annual Wine and Peonies fundraiser.

Fairbanks residents celebrated nearly 22 hours of daylight on June 20 by attending the Greater Fairbanks NAACP's Juneteenth celebration at the Carlson Center and the 43rd Midnight Sun Festival downtown.

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.

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.