UA selects Matthew Cooper as 18th president
By Amber McCain
The University of Alaska Board of Regents selected Matthew Cooper, the system’s former general counsel, as its 18th president.
Cooper will succeed President Pat Pitney, who is retiring, and will begin Aug. 3, 2026.
Board Chair Scott Jepsen announced the appointment Friday, citing Cooper’s experience with the university, including work on the UA Land Grant Initiative.
Photo courtesty of University of Alaska public affairs
New University of Alaska president Matt Cooper.
“Matt has a deep understanding of the university and has worked on many of our key priorities,” Jepsen said.
Before joining the university, Cooper worked in private law practice at Guess & Rudd in Anchorage and Fairbanks. He also served on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly from 2015 to 2022 and was previously its presiding officer.
“I’ve seen firsthand how UA empowers our communities and state,” Cooper said in a statement. “I look forward to building on the strong foundation President Pitney has established.”
Cooper, a Fairbanks native and Lathrop High School alumnus, holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Puget Sound and a Juris Doctor from the University of Washington. A member of the Alaska and Washington State bar associations, he was born in Seattle and grew up in the Interior.
The selection follows a national search that began in late 2025 and drew more than 50 candidates. The secrecy around the search resulted in criticism from the UAF faculty senate, which opposed the Board of Regents’ use of a more confidential “representative model” that limited public forums and required non-disclosure agreements. Faculty argued the approach reduced transparency and restricted input from students, staff and community members.
Pitney’s last day is May 21, 2026. Michelle Rizk, vice president of university relations, will serve as interim president until Cooper takes office.
Cooper’s total annual compensation package is $429,600, according to the board.
Under Pitney, the university reversed a decade-long enrollment decline and stabilized its finances.
This article has been updated to reflect that Cooper served on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly from 2015 to 2022. A previous version incorrectly stated he was a current member of the Assembly.