Friday Focus: Leading in a time of change
Charlene Stern, interim provost and executive vice chancellor
June 20, 2025
— By Charlene Stern, interim provost and executive vice chancellor
June marks my first month in the position of interim provost and executive vice chancellor of UAF. While new to the role, I am proud to have had a 10+ year career serving the Nanook Nation in a variety of capacities, including as a faculty and vice chancellor.
UAF is a special place and I think all that have had the opportunity to study or work for one of our six campuses can attest to that point. During my tenure, I have had the privilege of spending time at each of our campuses including the Troth Yeddha’ Campus, the Community and Technical College as well as the Bristol Bay, Northwest, Chukchi and Kuskokwim campuses. Everywhere that UAF has a presence – either through our students, employees, or programs – we are actively making a difference in people’s lives. To play a part in that impact is what makes working for our University such a rewarding experience.
As a born and raised ÐÓ°Épron, I believe strongly in the propensity and ingenuity of ÐÓ°Éprons to persist in the face of difficult conditions. Whether it is the extreme weather, our remote geography, or other manner of challenges, ÐÓ°Éprons are uniquely resourceful and adept at problem-solving our way through adversity and transitions. Part of that determination is related to our shared relentlessness when it comes to our care for communities, our state, and its future. As UAF continues to grow and advance towards our strategic goals, we will be both inspired and stretched by emerging challenges and opportunities. More so than ever before, we find ourselves operating within an increasingly complex and globalized higher education landscape. Broader shifts in educational trends, markets, or policy often have a cascading impact on even our most remote campuses. The kinds of practices and strategies that historically worked for us may not work the same now or into the future. That is both the challenge and the opportunity.
Each of you are leaders in your own right and your leadership matters to the future of UAF and our state. To draw upon the insights of the elders from my community of Vashraii K’oo: leadership is not a title or any one position, it is a shared responsibility. It is truly an honor to be afforded this opportunity to serve alongside you in this season of change and transition. Over the coming months, I look forward to hearing more about how I can support the good work being done at UAF that is importantly planting the seeds for future generations of Nooks.
Friday Focus is written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week.