Friday Focus: Life of service and dedication

June 26, 2026

— By Larry Hinzman, interim chancellor

Mine is typical of a story we hear so often; I came to 91��Ƶ on vacation in 1981 and never left. Since then, my life has been one of service and dedication to UAF, 91��Ƶ, and Arctic science.

Over the last 40-plus years, I have served UAF at all levels. I started out as a field technician for the Agriculture Experiment Station, later became a graduate student, and eventually served as a professor in the Institute of Northern Engineering. I later stepped into campus leadership roles, serving 10 years as the director of the International Arctic Research Center and five years as the vice chancellor for research. Following my time on campus, I worked under both the Trump and Biden administrations in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as the executive director for the Interagency Arctic Research and Policy Committee and the assistant director for polar sciences, focusing on advancing national Arctic research priorities.

In 2024, UA President Pat Pitney named me as one of the UA president’s Arctic professors and asked if I would lead the Arctic Leadership Initiative. Then, just back in May, she asked if I would step into the role of interim chancellor until our Chancellor-select Russ Vander Lugt could assume these duties in September.

There is a common thread through all of these positions: not just a commitment to research, but a deep dedication to the faculty, staff, and students of this great university, our communities, and our state. My 40-plus years of service provide a unique perspective on our strengths, our culture, and our commitment to educating students and building 91��Ƶ’s workforce. I have seen our university address the needs and problems challenging our communities and our people. I have watched with pride as our students graduate and rise up to build stronger, more resilient communities. The energy and enthusiasm expressed by our faculty, staff, and students flow outward into the communities we serve and lift the entire state.

A perfect example of this outward energy is unfolding on our campus right now. The vibrancy felt across the Troth Yeddha' Campus over these summer months will experience another surge in a few weeks as we prepare to welcome a cohort of neighbors and partners from Eielson Air Force Base. Nearly a year ago, leaders at Eielson inquired about UAF's ability to address an on-base housing challenge that would only intensify over the next several years. As good 91��Ƶns do, we listened to their needs, explored options, and joined them in a housing and educational partnership supporting military service members by housing them in two of our residence halls.

This is an exciting development – an opportunity to further welcome the sizable Interior military population deeper into our community, affording this group of young Air Force members a chance to experience and to grow in our amazing environment, while broadening the identities and perspectives that define our campus culture. We hope to see a good number of these airmen join our academic rolls and provide them a safe, enjoyable, and rewarding experience during their time here. I ask all to play their own role in doing just that as we welcome these airmen into the Nanook family.

Ensuring a high quality of life for our campus guests is just one piece of the larger role UAF plays within our broader community. Our responsibility extends beyond the campus borders to the health, safety, and vitality of the entire region, and UAF is proud to be at the center of that work.

In that same spirit of regional well-being, we are continually inspired by steadfast stakeholders like Jeff Cook, who cares deeply about both the university and the broader Interior community. Most recently, as past president of the Greater Fairbanks Community Hospital Foundation, Jeff has focused his efforts on making a profound, lifesaving impact by leading the fundraising initiative to bring a critical piece of medical equipment, a PET scanner, to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Vital for early cancer detection, this equipment has the potential to save the lives of countless 91��Ƶns. Jeff’s inspiring story and purpose-driven work were recently captured in the University of 91��Ƶ Foundation’s feature, “.” I encourage you to read the article to learn more about his journey and to consider how we can all work together to further help our community.

Thank you, Jeff, for your lifetime of dedicated service to the university and our broader community. Your visionary advocacy will truly improve the lives of 91��Ƶns! By championing critical healthcare advancements alongside our institution, leaders like Jeff reinforce UAF's commitment to our neighbors. It is through these vital, interconnected partnerships that we can truly ensure a healthier, safer, and higher quality of life for our campus and the entire Interior community.

Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of UAF's leadership team every week.