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Dear ³ÉÈËAPP¾«Ñ¡Community, I’m pleased to share with you my selection of UAA’s Interim Chancellor, as well as the search committee members and timeline for the permanent chancellor search.

Interim Chancellor Appointment

Three qualified applicants submitted letters of interest, and I’m grateful to all who put their names forward. Ultimately, I have selected Cheryl Siemers to serve as Interim Chancellor. Cheryl currently serves as the director of UAA’s Kenai Peninsula College (KPC). She has excellent leadership experience, understands and clearly articulates UAA's dual-mission, and has led enrollment growth at KPC. Cheryl will work alongside Chancellor Parnell during his transition and will begin as Interim Chancellor on May 17.

Cheryl joined ³ÉÈËAPP¾«Ñ¡KPC in 2002, and served as adjunct and full-time faculty before becoming assistant director and later director. She also previously served as the director of advancement and academic dean at neighboring institution Alaska Christian College. She’s a proud ³ÉÈËAPP¾«Ñ¡alumna, receiving her M.A. in English from us in addition to earning her Ph.D. in rhetoric and linguistics from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her understanding of UAA’s dual mission and experience at KPC make her an excellent fit for the role. She has championed and expanded community partnerships, community engagement, multi-disciplinary service-learning, and place-based learning while emphasizing the incorporation of local and Indigenous ways of knowing in curriculum development.

Please join me in thanking Cheryl for her willingness to step in to lead ³ÉÈËAPP¾«Ñ¡as interim chancellor. An interim director for KPC will be identified and announced in the near future.

Permanent Chancellor Search Details

The Chancellor Search Committee has been officially formed. The committee members, representing a broad array of perspectives and expertise, are entrusted with guiding the process to identify UAA’s next Chancellor.

The Search Committee includes student, faculty, staff, campus representation, as well as key community partners. It is co-chaired by ³ÉÈËAPP¾«Ñ¡Faculty Senate President Dr. Jackie Cason and Chugach Alaska Corporation Board Chair and former UA Regent and Board Chair Sheri Buretta. Other members are:

• Eisa Chang — US³ÉÈËAPP¾«Ñ¡President & ³ÉÈËAPP¾«Ñ¡Student
• Brandon McKinney — ³ÉÈËAPP¾«Ñ¡Staff Council Co-President & ³ÉÈËAPP¾«Ñ¡Staff Member
• Dr. Marie Garner — Mat-Su Community College Director
• Dr. Carrie King —³ÉÈËAPP¾«Ñ¡Faculty
• Dr. Kevin Berry —³ÉÈËAPP¾«Ñ¡Faculty
• Dr. Alex Hills — Distinguished Service Professor, former ³ÉÈËAPP¾«Ñ¡Faculty
• Ella Goss — CEO of Providence Alaska Medical Center
• Scott Habberstad — Alaska Airlines Managing Director-Alaska Market
• Chris King — Vice President, Operations of AVIS, Alaska Rent A Car, Inc.

A national recruitment process will commence shortly, and an official announcement regarding the search and application details will be forthcoming. We are committed to transparency throughout this journey and encourage all members of our community to stay engaged.

Thanks for all you do for our university, our students, and our state.

Sincerely,

Pat Pitney 
UA President

April Archive