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ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ distinguished alumnus announced
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Caroline Tritt-Frank, center left, poses with her family, from left, Tisheena, Kenneth and Crystal Frank. Caroline and her husband Kenneth are known throughout ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ for their tireless work to revitalize the Gwich’in language. Darryl Deacon photo
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Caroline Tritt-Frank '90, '01 will receive the 2020 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Alumni Association. Originally from Arctic Village, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, Tritt-Frank has spent her entire career in rural ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.
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After earning a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education, she was promoted to teacher at the Arctic Village School, where she had worked since 1972 as an aide. As a Gwich’in immersion teacher, she taught all classes in science, reading and social studies in her ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Native language. While it was impossible to translate all of the curriculum into Gwich’in, she used the language to make academics more meaningful and relevant to her students.
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“I became a teacher because I don’t want to lose my language,” said Tritt-Frank, who was a member of the Gwich'in panel formed by the state Division of Elections that translated voting and election materials from English into ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Native languages like Gwich’in.
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Tritt-Frank's example inspired those around her to realize that they could make their dreams of a college education a reality. Her husband, daughters and best friend, as well as more than a dozen of her former students, followed in her footsteps by earning degrees from ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.
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In nominating her mother, Crystal Frank said, “Education has given my family opportunities to be successful, to achieve and a chance to grow. I never thought in my wildest dreams I would get a master's degree, but seeing my mother achieve that made me think I can, too. She paved the road for other women in my community to become educated.”
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ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAA honors faculty, administrator and volunteer
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Paul McCarthy has been selected by the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Alumni Association to receive the 2020 William R. Cashen Service Award. In 1964, McCarthy arrived in ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ to join the library faculty and quickly established what has become the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ and Polar Regions Collections and Archives.
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He served as director of libraries for more than 12 years and briefly as interim vice provost. McCarthy also worked as a consultant on economic development and is the namesake of the Paul H. McCarthy Research Room in the Rasmuson Library.
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McCarthy has spent the last 18 years as the primary photographer for the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Nanooks as a volunteer. |
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Paul McCarthy, the 2020 ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAA William R. Cashen Service Award recipient |
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In nominating him for the award, Nona Letuligasenoa, associate director of athletic corporate sponsorships, said, "At the age of 80, Paul still heads into the rafters of the Carlson Center to test strobes prior to the game and makes the climb up three sets of stairs to the press box to help the Athletics Department with their branding and imaging."
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Get ready to celebrate with us
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Join us for the Blue and Gold Celebration on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020, at the Carlson Center, featuring our alumni duo, Bill Bailey ’06 and Meadow Bailey ’00, as masters of ceremonies. Enjoy fine dining and live music while honoring the best of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ and raising funds for the critical needs of our students.
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We'll celebrate our students with two featured speakers. We'll celebrate our faculty, including recipients of the 2019 and 2020 Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching, Research and Service Awards. And we'll honor our alumni with our ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAA awards presentations. |
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Net proceeds from the Blue and Gold Celebration will support critical needs of our students via the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Student Support Fund. You can also make a donation at the event to support a fund of your choice.
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Other ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAA news
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Seeking nominations for ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAA elections
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The University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Fairbanks Alumni Association is accepting nominations for three open seats on its 11-member board of directors.
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- Seat 1-A, rural (outside Fairbanks North Star Borough, Southeast ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, Municipality of Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough)
- Seat 2-A, Southcentral ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ
- Seat 3-A, Fairbanks North Star Borough
Nominations will be accepted through Feb. 29, 2020. Nominees must be ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ graduates and members in good standing with the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Alumni Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ and connecting its alumni. |
Candidates must be interested in a leadership and advocacy role in support of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, its alumni and the mission of higher education in ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ. |
ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAA members in good standing will elect the directors in March, with new board members beginning their three-year terms at the spring meeting on April 24-25. |
If you know outstanding ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ alumni with vision, community involvement, energy and a commitment to excellence and collaboration, please share this opportunity. Contact the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ alumni office at 907-474-7081 or email uaf-alumni@alaska.edu. |
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ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ class notes
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Let us know what you are up to! We are currently gathering photos, snippets and stories for the winter edition of the online Aurora magazine.
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We invite you to share positive stories from your time at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, updates about your current achievements and other news.
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Here is the in the latest edition of Aurora. |
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ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ alumni profile
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Paskvan gives back to ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ decades after graduation
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Frank Paskvan could have applied to any college, but the high school honors student chose to attend his hometown school, the University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Fairbanks. His father attended the University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, and he was familiar with the university after taking computer programming courses on campus in middle school.
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Paskvan remembers ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ petroleum professors visiting his Lathrop High School advanced chemistry class. “They asked ‘Do you like math? Physics? Chemistry? Solving problems? Would you like to travel the world, and get paid to do it?’ |
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Frank Paskvan receives a pressure gauge “gift” from Brian Ellingson at the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Community and Technical College Process Technology Facility. Photo by Elizabeth Talbot |
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"It all sounded good to me,” said Paskvan.
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This solidified his ambition to become a petroleum engineer. In the 30 years since he graduated to a career in the oil industry, Paskvan has been an avid supporter and promoter of the university and its students. “UA does an outstanding job,” he said. “Their engineering, finance and science graduates are on par with the best universities on planet Earth.”
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Recently, Paskvan has been working behind the scenes to support the specialized process technology program at the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center run by ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Community and Technical College. His collaboration with Associate Professor Brian Ellingson has facilitated donations through Paskvan’s employer, BP, of more than $5 million in training equipment and scholarships in support of the program.
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“We had spare or out-of-service equipment, and much of it was perfect for students to learn from: true industrial processes and hardware and at a small enough scale to fit into the classrooms and workshops,” Paskvan said.
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Membership supports ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ students and more
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Membership in your ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Alumni Association helps support alumni outreach and events like the annual Nanook Rendezvous reunion and student scholarships, along with campus projects such as the Blue and Gold Celebration, Grad Bash, the upcoming One Health, One Future conference and many other worthy endeavors.
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ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ alumni membership rates: |
One-year membership = $50 |
Three-year membership = $140 |
Lifetime membership = $1,000 |
Special rate for friends of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ alumni = $60
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Summer Sessions offers discount to ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAA members
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ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Summer Sessions and Lifelong Learning has awesome travel opportunities available for fall and summer 2020, including trips to Finland and Norway, Ireland, Israel and a bird-watching excursion to Nome, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ. Get an educational experience with tours tailored for mature travelers.
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Learn more here about how to register and what to expect. Or join the Summer Sessions newsletter list for information about new programs by emailing summer@alaska.edu. Be sure to ask them how ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Alumni Association members can get a $100 discount.
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Member benefits give back to ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ alumni
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One of the best deals offered to ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAA members is the 50% off discount on admission to the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Student Recreation Center. Check out the rates for members at the Student Recreation Center website.
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By being a ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAA member you are also eligible for discounts on your Geico insurance policy. Visit them at to find out how much you can save.
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Members also have access to Polar Perks which provides discounts and deals all over the country and in your local area on dining, movies, travel and more. Check it out at .
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Once you have your membership card, you also have access to campus libraries, career servers and all the fun the Wood Center has to offer. There are many other discounts and incentives honored by local businesses.
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Upcoming alumni events — save the dates
- Jan. 29-31, UA Impact, legislative fly-in to Juneau
- Feb. 1, ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAA winter meeting in Juneau
- Feb. 1, ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAA alumni event in Juneau
- Feb. 8, Blue and Gold Celebration at the Carlson Center
- Feb. 28-29, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Nanooks Governor's Cup Series at the Carlson Center
- March 11-14, One Health, One Future conference
- April 24-25, ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAA board meeting in the Alumni Lounge
- April 25, ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAA Grad Bash at the Pub
- May 2, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Commencement
- July 16-18, Nanook Rendezvous alumni reunion
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Keep up to date with all ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ events by checking the events webpage. |
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Questions or comments? Please contact us at:
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ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Alumni Association 201 Constitution Hall P.O. Box 750126 Fairbanks, AK 99775-0126 |
Phone: (907) 474-7081 Fax: (907) 474-6712 |
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