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Russ Vander Lugt named next �鶹ԭ��F chancellor

Russ Vander Lugt ’10, ’23 has been selected to serve as the next �鶹ԭ��F chancellor. He was named to the position in late May and will join �鶹ԭ��F on Sept. 8.

Larry Hinzman, former �鶹ԭ��F vice chancellor of research and current director of the �鶹ԭ�� Arctic Leadership Initiative, will serve as interim chancellor. Former Interim Chancellor Mike Sfraga’s last day was May 30.

Vander Lugt is a longtime Alaska resident and �鶹ԭ��F alumnus with an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Arctic and Northern history. He currently serves as a colonel in the U.S. Army as commander of the 11th Airborne Division’s Arctic Aviation Command at Fort Wainwright. Vander Lugt will retire from the military later this summer.

�鶹ԭ�� President Emeritus Pat Pitney, who retired in May, selected Vander Lugt from a large pool of applicants after a national search. He and three other finalists participated in on-campus visits, meetings and public presentations during the first half of May.

“Col. Vander Lugt’s experience in academia, the military, and the Arctic reflects the unique position that �鶹ԭ��F holds in our state, and we are pleased that he’s willing to serve as the next chancellor of America’s Arctic University,” said Interim �鶹ԭ�� President Michelle Rizk. “As an alumnus, he understands the quality and value of a �鶹ԭ�� education and the critical role that �鶹ԭ��F plays in research and national security. We’re confident that his wide-ranging expertise and commitment to student success will serve �鶹ԭ��F well.”

Vander Lugt will begin transitioning and onboarding over the summer and will be on campus beginning Aug. 19 to welcome students, staff and faculty back to �鶹ԭ��F for the start of the academic year.

“I’m humbled to be selected to lead the �鶹ԭ�� during this pivotal time, and I thank Presidents Pitney, Cooper and Rizk; the search committee; and the �鶹ԭ��F community for their trust and confidence,” he said. “I look forward to leading through trust, transparency and teamwork as we see Alaska and the Arctic transformed through education, research and public service. I’m committed to building on the strong foundation Chancellors Sfraga and White have established and working closely with university leadership and governance to support and advance �鶹ԭ��F’s mission.”

In addition to his doctorate, Vander Lugt has a master’s degree in Arctic and Northern studies from �鶹ԭ��F, a master’s degree in management science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a bachelor’s degree in music and historical theology from Wheaton College in Illinois.

Matt Cooper named 18th �鶹ԭ�� president

The �鶹ԭ�� Board of Regents in May selected former �鶹ԭ�� General Counsel Matthew Cooper as the next �鶹ԭ�� president. He will replace President Emeritus Pat Pitney, who retired on May 21. Michelle Rizk, �鶹ԭ�� vice president for university relations, is serving as interim president until Cooper’s first day on Aug. 3

Cooper worked in the �鶹ԭ�� general counsel’s office for 13 years, including four years leading the office as general counsel. He left the university in 2024 to take a position in private practice with Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, a national law firm with offices in Anchorage.

"President-designee Cooper’s university leadership experience, community engagement and dedication to �鶹ԭ�� make him the right choice to serve as our 18th president," said Scott Jepsen, chairman of the �鶹ԭ�� Board of Regents. "The board is confident in his ability to strengthen student enrollment, retention and graduation; lead the university through new challenges and opportunities; and continue �鶹ԭ��’s leadership in Arctic research.”

Cooper was selected from a pool of more than 50 applicants after a national search supported by the firm WittKieffer. A 14-member search committee, chaired by Jepsen, included regents; shared governance representatives; and Alaska Native, business and community leaders.

"I am excited and humbled to return to the �鶹ԭ��, and I am grateful to the board and search committee for this opportunity," Cooper said. "I’ve seen firsthand how �鶹ԭ�� empowers our communities and state, and I believe strongly that the future on our horizon is bright. I look forward to building on the strong foundation President Pitney has established and to working with the board and university leadership and governance to support and advance the university’s long-term vision and goals."