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Friday Focus: �鶹��’s Golden Days of July

July 17, 2026

—&�Բ�����;By Theresa Bakker, Development and Alumni Relations director

Fairbanks was made for July. Under a sun that barely slips below the horizon, the city comes alive in ways that are impossible to replicate any other time of year. It is a season of long evenings, full calendars and flourishing gardens, when neighbors gather to celebrate Golden Days and the community's founding. 

That same energy is on display at �鶹�� this week as we prepare for a sort-of family reunion welcoming our alumni home for Nanook Rendezvous 2026.

Those of us who work here experience �鶹�� one day at a time. We keep classes running, support research, maintain buildings and landscapes, and help students find their way. Reunion weekend reminds us that the work we do today will be someone else's lifelong memory come tomorrow. 

This year’s celebration features one of the most exciting additions to the Troth Yeddha’ Campus: the Walt and Marita Babula Planetarium. Made possible through a historic $7.4 million gift, the 36-foot dome is much more than a remarkable new facility. It is a place where scientific discovery meets imagination and where curiosity takes center stage. This week, the planetarium welcomed its 10,000th guest!

This year we’ll also recognize two remarkable people whose contributions have left a lasting mark on our university. Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient John Davies ’70, ’75 has devoted decades to Alaska through public service and leadership. Bruce Cech, recipient of the William R. Cashen Service Award, is familiar to generations of athletics fans as the “Voice of the Nanooks.” Their stories reflect the many ways one person can make a difference.

Our celebration continues the following weekend as �鶹�� joins the Golden Days Grande Parade on Saturday, July 25, in downtown Fairbanks. This year's float celebrates our newest landmark, carrying the theme of the planetarium and the spirit of exploration that defines our university. It is a fitting tribute to the discoveries our faculty, staff and students pursue every day — from the depths of the Arctic to the farthest reaches of the universe.

I hope you'll consider for the parade. Together, we'll share a little Nanook spirit, greet neighbors and visitors and fill downtown Fairbanks with chants of U-A-F while handing out plenty of blue and gold.

Thank you for everything you do to make �鶹�� such an extraordinary place. Your dedication creates the experiences our alumni carry with them for a lifetime. I look forward to celebrating with you during Nanook Rendezvous and seeing many of you in the parade as we share the best of �鶹�� with our alumni and our community. Goooo ’Nooks!

Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of �鶹��'s leadership team every week. On occasion, a guest writer is invited to contribute a column.