Alaska Pacific University is planning a return to primarily in-person instruction for the Summer and Fall 2021 terms. Online courses will still be available, as they were before the pandemic, and housing on-campus will be available. Registration for Fall 2021 courses opens March 17. The decision was made in part by Alaska’s encouraging vaccination…
A message to the community from President Bob Onders
Statement from Ethan Schutt, Chair, APU Board of Trustees
Alaska Pacific University (APU) has granted its president Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson a leave of absence to serve as interim president at APU’s Tribal partner, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), during this critical moment of leadership transition at ANTHC. While we will miss president Davidson’s presence and leadership during this interim period, ensuring ANTHC’s…
Spring 2021 Commencement Update
Greetings from APU! Alaska Pacific University is dedicated to keeping the APU community, friends, and families healthy during this pandemic. To do this, we have made the difficult decision to make the Spring 2021 commencement ceremony a pre-recorded event. We know this is disappointing news, but an in-person event isn’t possible with local restrictions on…
APU undergrads gain more research opportunities in Alaska through AK UNiTE
Collaborating biology faculty at Alaska Pacific University, University of Alaska Anchorage, Kodiak College, and University of Washington Tacoma were awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Incubator Grant to increase undergraduate research experiences in biology in Alaska, for Alaskans. The universities will establish AK UNiTE, an NSF Research Coordination Network in Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE). “This…
APU establishes community office for a national Arctic research initiative
As climate change warms the Arctic more than twice as fast as the rest of the planet, new challenges abound for the communities that live in the region, including food sovereignty, coastal erosion, increasing shipping traffic and more. The National Science Foundation’s Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) initiative aims to improve our understanding of the…
GCI donates $20,000 to Alaska Pacific University with Donovan Walsh Scholarship
In an academic year wrought with challenges and change, GCI is providing an extra boost to students through a $20,000 donation to Alaska Pacific University in honor of Donovan Walsh, an Alaskan who suddenly passed away in late August 2020. Donovan was the son of Bob Walsh, a longtime GCI employee beloved by all who…
APU Faculty Volunteer to Give COVID-19 vaccinations
On Friday January 8 and Friday January 15, nursing faculty from APU assisted in the administration of the COVID-19 vaccination with Anchorage School District nurses at the ASD Education Center. By the time the clinic closed on January 15, more than 6,000 Alaskans had received their first vaccine against COVID-19. APU Director of Nursing Marianne…
Class of 2020 Virtual Commencement Ceremony
Alaska Pacific University recognized its Fall, Spring, and Summer graduates with a special virtual Commencement celebration on Saturday, December 12, 2020. The unique event combined elements of a traditional graduation with new opportunities for virtual participation. Commencement began with welcome notes and well wishes from university leadership, including President Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson and Board of…
Campus Store opens in-person and online
The APU Campus Store now offers two ways to visit, both in-person and online. After a semester of renovations, the Campus Store is back open for visitors. The new location in the front of Grant Hall is home to both the Campus Store and Ground Theory coffee cart. Stop by, grab a drink, and see…
APU Student Elected to National Indian Education Association Board
Ben Baldwin, an Alaska Native Governance student at APU, was recently elected the student board member for the National Indian Education Association, or NIEA. Based in Washington, D.C., NIEA draws together Indigenous voices to share ideas, develop programs, and advocate for federal policy that advances culture-based educational opportunities. As one of 12 members on the…