As UA students prepare for class in Anchorage and Fairbanks, 2 interim chancellors stand at the helm
By Lizzy Hahn/ ADN
Story previously published in Anchorage Daily News.
As the University of Alaska prepares for the start of the 2025-26 school year, interim chancellors will be at the helm of two of its flagship campuses.
Cheryl Siemers, University of Alaska Anchorage interim chancellor, and Mike Sfraga, University of Alaska Fairbanks interim chancellor, are both looking to the future.
Neither is new to the University of Alaska system. Siemers came into the role after working at UAA for over 20 years. Sfraga has spent 31 years working at both UAF and the university system. All University of Alaska schools will begin instruction Aug. 25.
Sfraga was the first person to graduate from UAF with a Ph.D. in Northern studies and geography. In October 2024, Sfraga was appointed by then-President Joe Biden to be the United States ambassador-at-large for Arctic affairs. He held this position until January 2025.
“Arctic research will be a significant part of what I focus my time on as the chancellor,” Sfraga said in an interview earlier this month.
Just before he officially started, Sfraga had a significant presence at the Arctic Encounter Symposium in Anchorage. The conference ran from July 30 to Aug. 1, bringing together leaders and experts from across the Arctic, and Sfraga participated in multiple panels and breakout sessions.
From left, Finnish Ambassador Tiina Jortikka-Laitinen, Danish Ambassador Lone Dencker Wisborg, and U.S. Arctic Research Commission chair Dr. Michael Sfraga converse on stage during a luncheon at the Arctic Encounter Symposium on April 7, 2022 at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
“UAF plays a major role, whether it’s in our national security, our homeland security, understanding a changing environment impacts the creation of and impacts on infrastructure all over the state,” Sfraga said.
Looking at the school year ahead of him, Sfraga emphasized the importance of communicating the value that UAF’s research provides for the state. His focus for his time as chancellor, he said, “is to work with research directors, our faculty, our education leaders.”
“To understand this very complex and changing landscape … you need good research that provides good data for really sound policy development,” Sfraga said. “It is part of the state’s future to have solid data that comes from research to inform policy at the local, regional and state level, and then the national level.”
Thinking on a broader scale, Sfraga said a stronger effort has to be made to ensure that members of Congress better “understand the value of not just UAF research, but research writ large.” Sfraga said that funding research would lead to “research security” and that intellectual property needed to be protected.
“I want a healthy NOAA. I want a healthy National Weather Service. I want our fishermen to understand when there’s a storm coming. I want communities to be prepared for storm surges that they had never seen before,” Sfraga said.
Dr. Michael Sfraga. (Wilson Center photo)
Siemers echoed that view of the importance of research, speaking about UAA.
“We have research going on that has direct impact for communities, very influential in that regard, and a lot of active research,” said Siemers.
Her main goal going into the upcoming school year, she says, is “UAA’s push into our dual mission.”
UAA provost Denise Runge explained that dual-mission institutions like UAA mesh community and technical colleges with four-year universities. Within a dual-mission program, students can “start in more of a community college-type program and then seamlessly continue on … to earn that bachelor’s degree or even that master’s degree” in a smooth transition, said Runge.
Siemers said her secondary goal has been to “help the institution as it transitions between chancellors.” Runge added that they are looking for a leader “who’s excited to be part of what we are and move us forward in the direction that we’re headed.”
Siemers started as the interim chancellor for UAA on May 16, taking the reins from former Gov. Sean Parnell, who retired after four years as chancellor.
Sfraga began his new job as UAF’s interim chancellor on July 28. He is taking over after Dan White, UAF’s chancellor of eight years, retired in July.
University of Alaska President Pat Pitney will announce the next permanent chancellors for each campus in the coming months.
“We’re on track,” Pitney said about the hiring process for the UAA chancellor. She anticipates that finalists will tour the campus in September and hopes to announce her pick in October.
While they had not gotten any applicants for the UAF chancellor position as of last week, Pitney said there were over 50 applicants for the UAA chancellor position.
Universities across the United States have seen federal grant funding frozen or cut under the Trump administration.
[University of Alaska president reports $50 million in grants frozen under Trump administration]
The University of Alaska system had 25 grants with a remaining total value of $6.4 million terminated and “still have about $45 million worth of grants frozen,” Pitney said.
University of Alaska president Pat Pitney in 2022. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
“There is worry because of the uncertainty that the federal environment is posing to higher education, but I think we’re weathering it fairly well,” Pitney said Thursday.
She noted that the university system saw a 4% increase in enrollment compared to last school year.
“It creates more vibrancy on our campuses,” Pitney said.
Looking ahead to the new school year Pitney expressed her excitement for students’ return.
“Our interest is that every student who chooses one of our universities or one of our community campuses feels welcome and has the opportunity to succeed,” Pitney said.