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Lori Gildehaus selected as URSA director

Sept. 16, 2025

ҹɫ���� Vice Provost and Dean of the Division of Exploratory Studies and Academic Success, Trent Sutton, has appointed Lori Gildehaus as the new director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity.

Gildehaus has nearly 20 years of experience advancing undergraduate research at UAF through program management, mentoring best practices, and student support and success. She has served as the program administrator for three NIH-funded initiatives (BLaST, URISE, IPERT) that focused on engaging undergraduates, where she managed daily operations, budgets, compliance, and mentoring activities. In these roles, she developed and facilitated summer research intensives, mentor development workshops, and outreach events to strengthen student engagement in research. Her work emphasized supporting underrepresented and rural Alaska students as well as building collaborations with faculty and external institutions to expand undergraduate research opportunities.

“Lori brings extensive experience, enthusiasm, and passion in support of advancing the undergraduate research and creative scholarship mission at UAF through her track record and engagement in student mentorship and program leadership, which makes her an excellent fit for this position,” Sutton said.

“I've always appreciated the amazing opportunities that URSA has provided for students to conduct meaningful research and explore their interests. It is with immense gratitude and excitement that I step into the role of director to carry on this great work and continue serving undergraduate students and the UAF community,” Gildehaus said.

Gildehaus was selected after an open UAF-wide search in late summer 2025 and will assume the director position on Sept. 22. She replaces URSA Director Trent Sutton, who served in this capacity since January 2015. Sutton will continue his full-time duties as the vice provost, accreditation liaison officer, and dean of DEXSAS.