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From Nanook to chancellor: A leadership tradition

You can go anywhere with a degree from UAF, including, it turns out, to the corner office in the Signers’ Hall.

In a rare alignment, UAF’s most recent chancellors share a distinction that goes beyond their executive credentials: they are all Nanook alumni. Ambassador Mike Sfraga ’84, ’97, Interim Chancellor Larry Hinzman ’90, and incoming Chancellor Russ Vander Lugt ’10, ’23 have each carried their UAF experience into high-level public service, diplomacy and scientific leadership before returning to help guide the university forward.

It’s a unique UAF story, passing the headlamp from one generation of northern leadership to the next.

When UAF launched its national search for a new chancellor, the goal was to  find a leader capable of steering America’s premier Arctic research university through a rapidly changing global landscape. In Vander Lugt, the university found someone who pairs deep external experience with an insider’s understanding.

A decorated senior military officer and Arctic scholar, Vander Lugt brings a perspective shaped both in international arenas and in UAF classrooms. He knows the university not just as an administrator, but as a student who sat in its lecture halls and an alum who understands its mission firsthand.

He follows a line of leaders with equally distinctive paths and a shared commitment to UAF and its people.

Hinzman, a world-renowned Arctic hydrologist, provided steady institutional leadership during a time of transition, drawing on decades of service to the university.

Sfraga brought a different kind of experience to the role. Before serving as interim chancellor,  he was appointed the first U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs. Known for his warmth, wit and genuine connection with people, he brought an approachable, human touch to the chancellor’s office and continues to be engaged in Arctic policy and leadership.

Now, Vander Lugt steps into the role with his own blend of leadership and service, grounded in both military experience and academic work in the Arctic.

Together, their stories highlight something special about UAF. The university doesn’t just prepare graduates for what comes next. It remains part of their journey.

“UAF alumni seem to be driven to service and compelled to give back to this institution, the State of Alaska, and our nation,” Hinzman said. “We have been privileged to take up this role and advance the mission of our university and to serve our students, staff and faculty.”

While few alumni will sit in the chancellor’s chair, the thread connecting Sfraga, Hinzman and Vander Lugt extends to Nanooks everywhere. UAF graduates are leading in many ways: running field research stations, launching businesses, serving in the military and teaching in rural Alaska classrooms and beyond.

For some, that journey eventually circles back to Fairbanks.

For these leaders, returning to campus isn't just a career move. It reflects a lasting connection to UAF and a shared understanding of its role in the North. Every so often, a returning Nanook is handed the keys to help write the university’s next chapter.