Col. Russell Vander Lugt selected as new permanent UAF chancellor

By Gabriele Rigaudo

Col. Russell “Russ” Vander Lugt will serve as the next permanent chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, university officials announced Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Col. Russell “Russ” Vander Lugt, the newly appointed UAF chancellor.

Currently serving as commander of the 11th Airborne Division’s Arctic Aviation Command at Fort Wainwright, Vander Lugt will succeed interim chancellor Mike Sfraga, retiring on May 30. Larry Hinzman will serve as interim chancellor to cover the gap between Sfraga’s official retirement and Vander Lugt’s first day, set to be Sept. 8.  

The decision was made by former University of Alaska president Pat Pitney during her last week in office. Pitney, who announced her retirement in November of last year, selected Vander Lugt in consultation with the Board of Regents, incoming president Matthew Cooper, and interim president Michelle Rizk.

Vander Lugt returns to UAF after earning a master's degree in northern studies and historical geography and a doctorate in arctic and northern history from UAF. 

He will be UAF’s eighth permanent chancellor since the administrative restructuring of 1975. 

Alaskan by choice, Vander Lugt moved to the 49th state in 2002 as a lieutenant with his wife. A father of four, Vander Lugt and his family settled in what he considers the Arctic. 

The Arctic was a recurrent theme in Vander Lugt’s candidacy. As discussed in his presentation, his plan centers around the idea of “Transforming the Arctic, in the Arctic!” With this vision, Vander Lugt aims to prioritize student experience and success at UAF, maintaining an elite research trajectory, highlighting Alaska Native and Indigenous leadership, and preparing the student body as the engine for Alaska’s economic growth. 

With his motto “Ad Summum!” Vander Lugt sees UAF’s role in the Arctic as ever increasing in both Indigenous education and Arctic research. Vander Lugt expects UAF to be, by 2035, “widely recognized as the world’s leading university for Arctic research, education, and policy development.”

Vander Lugt defines his leadership strategy as centered around individuals’ relationships, which is key in building trust and cohesion, a sense of purpose and belonging, to provide a pathway to success for students, faculty, and staff.

This transition marks a new beginning for the institution with Vander Lugt as its chancellor. The Colonel noted how he’s in “for the long game,” signaling a commitment to leadership and continuity at UAF as the university advances towards “the Arctic century.”