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Celebrating ConocoPhillips Alaska’s Impact on STEM in Alaska

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As one of the largest donors to the For Alaska campaign and notably established as the University of Alaska’s single largest philanthropic contributor – ConocoPhillips Alaska has given nearly $46 million over more than four decades, uplifting a broad array of programs throughout the state. Additionally, ConocoPhillips Alaska employees have given UA the gift of their time, serving in critical advisory, mentorship and leadership roles. 

"ConocoPhillips Alaska values our longstanding relationship with UA,” shared Stephanie Erickson, ConocoPhillips Alaska Prudhoe Bay area manager and member of the UA Foundation Board of Directors. “By empowering students to solve real-world problems, together, we strengthen our workforce, our economy and our communities. We are proud to have so many graduates become our employees through the University of Alaska’s education-to-workforce programs." 

Students who have benefited from ConocoPhillips Alaska’s generosity are now industry workers, critical thinkers and leaders in a wide range of professions. In addition to supporting engineering, geology and mining at both universities, ConocoPhillips Alaska also supports tomorrow's future workforce by investing in bridging programs, including Rural Alaska Honors Institute (RAHI) and GeoFORCE Alaska at UAF and the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) at UAA.

“By empowering students to solve real-world problems, together, we strengthen our workforce, our economy and our communities. We are proud to have so many graduates become our employees through the University of Alaska’s education-to-workforce programs." 

ANSEP aims to foster success for Alaska Native students in science and engineering and provides a continuum of support from kindergarten through graduate school. This comprehensive approach ensures that students receive consistent guidance and opportunities at every academic level.

“ConocoPhillips Alaska has been a long-term ANSEP strategic partner that has helped grow our longitudinal program from kindergarten to the Ph.D. while also being a generous matching partner for our ANSEP Alumni Scholarship Fundraiser,” said Matt Calhoun, executive director for ANSEP.

ConocoPhillips Alaska also supports STEM education and experiences for youth through their steadfast support of UAA’s Summer Engineering Academies, UAF Science Olympiad and the UAF Engineering Open House. Throughout the years, they have made a difference in a diverse range of departments, programs and areas – from athletics to culinary arts, finance, equipment and facilities, and more.

“You are truly helping the future of Alaska and there are few worthier investments,” RAHI 2018 graduate Olivia Carroll said, “We all appreciate your generosity and service to Alaska.”

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Skilled construction workers are critical to building and maintaining Alaska’s infrastructure and there is a tremendous need for professionals in this area – both now and into the future. “As a long-time industry leader, donor, and University of Alaska Foundation board member, I’m concerned about the extreme shortage of workforce for construction management in Alaska,” wrote Meg Nordale, president of GHEMM Company, Inc. and current chair of the University of Alaska Foundation’s Board of Directors. In 2022 when Nordale shared this concern, she envisioned further partnership with the university “to develop a plan to address Alaska’s Construction Management workforce needs.”

University of Alaska President Pat Pitney also recognized the importance and necessity of training and growing Alaska’s workforce. Together, Pitney and Nordale built a team to address the Construction Management Workforce Initiative. Nordale became the facilitator of the initiative’s committee, composed of construction industry representatives, community members, and UA employees – with representation from each of the construction programs at UAF, UAA, and UAS. 

Dedicated to addressing Alaska's extreme shortage of construction workforce, the committee focused on remedies to overcome the labor shortage: boosting awareness of related career pathways, increasing enrollment and program accessibility for traditional and non-traditional students, further aligning programs, and strengthening program resources to provide students with job-skill readiness. 

To kick off this initiative, longtime donors and UA advocates Helga and Bill Watterson '64, who earned his B.S. in civil engineering from UAF, contributed $50,000 and challenged the construction industry to meet/exceed their generous contribution. As an employer, Watterson Construction Company values UA’s graduates and boasts an average tenure of 14 years within the company, emphasizing that UA graduates are more likely to stay in Alaska. Over the course of two years, nearly $900,000 was invested to support this initiative. Industry and individual donors contributed $492,000 in new dollars and internship support, while President Pitney directly committed $400,000 in university funds to this important priority. 

Industry members came together to advocate for Alaska’s construction workforce needs and, in turn, the university's programs collaborated to increase capacity and the number of graduates entering the workforce. These efforts resulted in significant enrollment increases in construction programs at UAA, UAF and UAS over the past year. 

Furthermore, with Associated General Contractors of Alaska (AGC)’s leadership gift of $200,000 in July 2024, a new endowment has been established which will provide essential funding for construction programs across the state in perpetuity. Reaching this ambitious milestone wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the generosity of individual donors and industry partners. 

Reflecting on the momentum generated by this initiative, AGC Executive Director Alicia Amberg said, “The Construction Management Initiative brought the university alongside the industry to address a significant workforce shortage that will impact all Alaskans. Our ability to partner alongside the university has strengthened relationships and, as we celebrate this success, we look forward to this endowment making an impact into the future.”

AGC has supported engineering and construction programs at UA for twenty years, giving more than half a million dollars to programs at UAA, UAF and UAS. The new endowment ensures support that will extend in perpetuity.

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Alumni, community partners and friends help make the University of Alaska the vibrant institution it is. 

“Northrim Bank’s dedication to Alaska is evident in its extensive engagement with the university,” said Tlisa Northcutt, interim president of the University of Alaska Foundation. “In addition to their generous financial contributions, we have benefited greatly from the active involvement of the bank’s leaders and employees on advisory and alumni boards, as well as the foundation board.” Northrim Bank is among many businesses statewide that employ UA alumni. 

A steadfast supporter of the University of Alaska system, Northrim Bank’s annual giving to UAA, UAF and UAS also includes funding for six community campuses where Northrim employees live and work: Sitka Campus (UAS), Ketchikan Campus (UAS), Kodiak College (UAA), Mat-Su College (UAA), Kenai Peninsula College (UAA) and Northwest Campus in Nome (UAF). Northrim Bank has two endowed scholarships at UA: one in memory of Chris Knudson, a founding executive, and one in honor of Northrim’s founder, Marc Langland.

In addition, Northrim Bank chose to provide a special For Alaska campaign gift of $150,000 to fund areas of UA that advance research on Alaska’s economy and fiscal policy, expand business education and build entrepreneurship capacity through the UAA College of Business and Public Policy Excellence Fund and the UAF College of Business and Security Management Student Support Fund. 

“Northrim Bank’s dedication to Alaska is evident in its extensive engagement with the university.”

Expressing gratitude, University of Alaska President Pat Pitney recognizes that Northrim Bank has been a dedicated partner for more than three decades with the UA system, investing in business education across each of the universities. “Private philanthropy is essential for the UA system to meet its mission, and Northrim’s strategic generosity has yielded educational excellence, scholarships and opportunities for students to study while staying close to home,” President Pitney said.

Relationships such as the one between UA and Northrim Bank demonstrate a “connection between the research, technical support and education provided by the University of Alaska system and the economic future of our state,” said Joe Schierhorn, chairman of Northrim Bank. “Higher education is the backbone of a strong community and Northrim is proud to support the work of the University of Alaska.”

"Growing up, my family was lower-middle class. I knew that if I wanted to go to college I would need to earn a scholarship unless I wanted to spend a very long time in debt the way my parents had to,” said Victoria Dugan, ’26, who is studying finance. Opportunities like those provided by Northrim make an incredible difference for students and future economic leaders.

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In 2022, with an initial planning gift of $250,000, the Rasmuson Foundation supported the vision and design of the University of Alaska’s Arctic Leadership Initiative. Recently, they announced a $5 million gift to help launch the initiative. 

“It’s an ambitious strategic endeavor intended to reshape Alaska’s role in the Arctic and make significant contributions to people living in the Arctic region,” said Tasha Pineda, vice president of strategy for Rasmuson Foundation. “As residents of our nation’s only Arctic state, younger Alaskans are uniquely positioned to lead into the future. This funding will accelerate the development of solutions, innovations, and new economic opportunities for Alaskans across the state.”  

For decades, the Rasmuson Foundation has been an early catalyst and investor in big ideas at the University of Alaska. We are grateful for their steadfast support, including being one of the largest donors to the For Alaska campaign.

Learn more at about the UA Arctic Leadership Initiative.

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Alaska Native artist Ronald Senungetuk was a sculptor, silversmith and woodcarver of international acclaim. Born in the village of Wales, Senungetuk began his career at the University of Alaska Fairbanks as an art professor in the early 1960s. In 1965, he established the Alaska Native Arts program and became the director of the Native Arts Center. In 1977, he was promoted to chair of UAF's Department of Art, a position he would retain until retiring in 1986. UAF paid tribute to the impact of Senungetuk and his career by honoring him with emeritus status upon his retirement and with an honorary doctorate of fine arts in 2015. In 2020, he passed away at the age of 86.

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Current Department Chair and Professor of Native Art, Da-ka-xeen Mehner, greatly appreciates the Senungetuk family's generosity in supporting students. Financial support makes a lasting impact, enabling students to further their education and craft. Mehner noted how forward-thinking it was for the family to not restrict the scholarship to Native Art majors, but to open it to students with a concentration in Native Art.

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The University of Alaska Museum of the North attracts more than 85,000 visitors annually. UAMN’s mission combines research and teaching, and it boasts one of the largest marine mammal collections in the world, even larger than the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. 

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Stroecker, a Fairbanks local who passed away in 2010, ardently supported the University of Alaska Fairbanks and UAMN. The foundation he established through his estate gifted nearly $1M to the museum, allowing the meticulous bone-by-bone cleaning and restoration of the skeleton to begin in 2020. The 42-foot skeleton, which is the length of a bowling lane and weighs close to one ton, also required structural modifications to the ceiling of the museum's lobby. Mounting the skeleton to the steel armature and suspending it from the lobby ceiling took months of work, culminating in the grand opening in June, 2021.

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Museum Director Patrick Druckenmiller emphasized the uniqueness of the exhibit saying, "a single gift from the Bill Stroecker Foundation made possible the most jaw-dropping exhibit in the museum: a fully articulated bowhead whale skeleton suspended from the museum atrium, the only display of its kind in North America. When visitors first enter the museum, they are immediately greeted and awed by the size and beauty of this specimen."

Thanks to its placement in the multi-story lobby, visitors to the museum can view the skeleton from above, below, and from the right side. The skeleton is accompanied by interpretive panels that emphasize the important role bowhead whales play in both Alaska Native culture and marine ecosystems.

"This gift exemplifies alignment between a donor's vision and the museum's goals, creating a truly win-win relationship for all."

Druckenmiller delved into the significance of the bowhead whale, sharing that "bowhead whales are denizens of the Arctic Ocean and are a keystone species of marine ecosystems. They are equally important to the spiritual and cultural health of Inupiat people, who rely on bowheads as a critical food resource. The goal of this exhibit is to highlight the connections between the natural and cultural significance of this remarkable species in a singular, captivating exhibit. It is highlighted in Family Day events, in docent-led school tours, and adult education offerings. It is also seen by visitors from all corners of the globe, most of whom will never visit the Arctic to see the animal in its natural setting."

Druckenmiller added, "Philanthropic giving is central to our museum's success, and the Bill Stroecker Foundation gift highlights how generosity is converted into impact. In many instances, private giving makes possible exhibits and programming that are otherwise very difficult to fund through conventional sources. This gift exemplifies alignment between a donor's vision and the museum's goals, creating a truly win-win relationship for all."

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