Friday Focus: Welcome to fall 2025
Charlene Stern, interim provost and executive vice chancellor
Sept. 5, 2025
— By Charlene Stern, interim provost and executive vice chancellor
I am thrilled to welcome each of you to the start of the new academic year at UAF! Fall is by far my favorite season, and I look forward to all that it brings, including new and returning students, faculty, and staff to campus.
I had the opportunity to welcome new faculty to campus as part of their orientation. It was wonderful to meet new colleagues who have chosen UAF as the place to impact the lives of students and to contribute to their own disciplines. As we gear up for a busy fall semester, I would like to take a moment to thank our staff for all that you do to keep the university moving forward. While our university and others continue to navigate these uncertain times, we are very fortunate to be part of a community that cares deeply about each other, our programs, and our students. UAF is a special place, and it’s the people that make it so!
I look forward to serving you over the next year as interim provost and executive vice chancellor and plan to work closely with Interim Chancellor Mike Sfraga to continue to advance UAF forward in positive ways. Whether you are an employee based at the Troth Yeddha’ Campus, the Community and Technical College, the Kuskokwim, Chukchi, Bristol Bay, or Northwest Campus, you each play a critical role in the future success of our institution. So, welcome back to UAF. Let’s make this a great year.
Friday Focus is written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week.