My name is Lu. I am a student here at UAF studying art and sociology. This is my fourth year studying here, so I am used to the welcome-back routine with friends, classmates and teachers. But this year, when people ask me how my summer was, I get to make a choice. Do I say, “Overall, pretty good! A few rough patches”? Or do I say, “My boat suddenly sank in the middle of the night, my parents and I had to escape and make it to shore, where we spent seven hours until we were rescued”? Or do I just tell them to read this?

On Aug. 23, 2026, it was a particularly windy day at the Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. I visited for the first time, interested both in the beautiful sandhill cranes and in the book fair that was happening from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day. As a poet and MFA student here at UAF, I knew what I needed to do,  I shot toward the poetry.

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.