UAF College of Liberal Arts

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Fairbanks, AK
UAF College of Liberal Arts

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Discover your path in the College of Liberal Arts—where art, ideas, and cultures converge. Home to creative expression and critical thinking.

With 40+ majors, CLA inspires students to think big, act boldly, and shape the future. CLA inspires students, faculty, and alumni to lead lives of achievement and meaning. We are a highly-qualified bunch of rule-breakers who aren’t afraid to work outside of the box. We take great joy in our work and it shows. CLA is an incubator for change-makers. We shape and engage all facets of the human spirit through the arts, humanities, social sciences, and languages. Our graduates enter the workforce with the drive, passion, and most important experience that employers seek. In 1917, the campus was a single two-story frame building and had just six students. Today, the University of Alaska Fairbanks has grown to nearly 9,000 students seeking everything from associate degrees to Ph.D.s. The College of Liberal Arts is a collection of departments in the arts, humanities, languages and social sciences. With 16 departments and more than 40 degree programs, we are able to create a highly interdisciplinary academic environment, greatly influenced by our location in Fairbanks. Whether in an art studio or research lab, the College of Liberal Arts is always naturally inspiring.

10/08/2026

Welcome back to campus, Nate Raymond ('07 BA Journalism)! 🎓 We’re thrilled to host our UAF Journalism alumnus and 2026 Pulitzer Prize–winning Reuters reporter for a special Snedden Lecture tomorrow evening.

Come hear his insider stories from two decades covering high-stakes court cases, high-profile judges, and today’s evolving media landscape. 🎙️✨

🐻‍❄️ Event Details & Info: https://www.facebook.com/share/1C6AA6kckX/

10/07/2026

📢 HAPPENING TODAY!

How do forensic experts analyze s*x and gender in real-world investigations? Join Women’s, Gender, and S*xuality Studies as we welcome Dr. Petra Banks from the UAF Department of Anthropology to discuss S*x and Gender in Forensic Anthropology Casework! 💀

🍕 BONUS: Pizza, drinks, and Carol’s world-famous brownies will be provided! (Come get 'em before they’re gone!) 😋

📍 Location: Gruening Building, Room 503H
⏰ Time: 12-2 p.m.
➡️ Details: https://www.facebook.com/share/1M6GdUaYpY/

📸 Shoutout to our amazing WGSS students and faculty repping their department tees at last month's meeting!

Everyone is welcome. Bring a friend, grab some food, and bring your questions!

10/03/2026

Welcoming October with a look back at last week's Oktoberfest! 🥨🍻 Prost!

10/01/2026

As seen in the papers! 🗞️✨ This Saturday, Oct. 3rd, is packed with events connected to the UAF College of Liberal Arts—we've got THREE great options happening all in one day!

🎬 Film Screening: Steal This Story, Please!
Hosted by the UAF Science and Environmental Journalism Department!
Catch a free public screening of this award-winning documentary following fiercely independent journalist Amy Goodman and the power of press freedom.

⏰ 3:30 PM | 📍 Schaible Auditorium (UAF Campus) | 🎟️ Free

📖 Alaska Petroleum & Politics Discussion
An election-season Q&A on oil, gas, and policy featuring UAF Professor Philip Wight and author/attorney Lisa Weissler.

⏰ 5:30 PM | 📍 Solstice Books (721 Second Ave) | 🎟️ Free

🎻 Wild Shore New Music
Contemporary chamber music featuring NPR Tiny Desk winner Quinn Christopherson, filmmaker Michael Walsh, composer Matt Evans, and the Wild Shore Ensemble!

⏰ 7:00 PM | 📍 UAF Davis Concert Hall | 🎟️ Free for UAF students/kids, $5 Military/Senior/non UAF students, $10 general admission

Spend your Saturday with CLA! Which event are you making it to?

09/30/2026

Honored to host UAF Chancellor Russ Vander Lugt at CLA as part of his Listening & Learning Tour! Great conversations, meaningful engagement, and a shared vision for our community’s future.

09/29/2026

Saturday night was a fun event to fundraise for student scholarships at Blue & Gold! Big shout out to Maya Salganek for auctioning off two Theatre & Film experiences, Jaunelle Celaire for singing so beautifully and bringing fun to the night, Elaine Drew and Brandon Boylan for helping host the CLA table, and Scott Hansen for playing in the Alumni Band! And a big congratulations to senior BFA student Emily Pomrenke, whose hand-beaded multimedia painting sold for $2,100 at the live auction!!! 💙💛

09/11/2026

🍅 Fruit or vegetable? Turns out, the answer can have legal consequences!

UAF’s Pre-Law Club is off to a running start this semester. At this week’s meeting, students dug into some bizarre and interesting court cases, working in groups to read up on their assigned case and share what they learned. Among them: a case that had to determine whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable because the answer affected how it was taxed. Who knew produce could be a legal issue?

Want in on the next discussion? Join the Pre-Law Club at its next meeting!
📅 Monday, Sept. 14
⏰ 5-7 p.m.
📍 Gruening 602C

08/27/2026

Come visit us at Party in the Park TODAY, 12-3 p.m. at Constitution Park! 🌟

Meet faculty, discover what our departments are all about, and find a club (or two!) that feels like you.

05/27/2026

Big news for the Nanook community and the College of Liberal Arts. The University of Alaska has announced that Russell Vander Lugt has been selected as the next chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Col. Vander Lugt is not only a respected Arctic scholar and military leader. He is also a proud UAF alumnus with both a master’s degree in Arctic and Northern Studies and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Arctic and Northern History from UAF. His research and leadership reflect a deep commitment to Alaska, the Arctic, and collaboration with Alaska Native communities.

At the College of Liberal Arts, we are especially proud to see one of our own stepping into this important role. His journey through the Arctic and Northern Studies program speaks to the power of interdisciplinary education, research, and public service rooted in the North.

Please join us in congratulating Chancellor Select Vander Lugt as he prepares to lead America’s Arctic University into its next chapter.

05/12/2026

We are excited to share that University of Alaska Fairbanks Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Charlene Stern has appointed Carrie Baker to serve as the permanent dean of the UAF College of Liberal Arts, effective May 17.

“The liberal arts serve as a critical foundation for all UAF students, thus making the CLA deanship a vitally important decision,” said Stern. “After a competitive national recruitment, Baker was selected from a robust pool of qualified candidates. Her vision for the future of the college, coupled with her collaborative leadership approach, makes her the ideal candidate to lead CLA forward into its next chapter.”

Baker has 20 years of experience at UAF, including serving as a professor of Theatre and Film (2005-2025), chair of CLA’s Theatre and Film Department (2012-2021), and associate dean of CLA (2021-2025). She is a member of the Actors’ Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild, with professional acting credits in stage, television, and film. Baker holds a B.A. in Theatre and English from Middlebury College and an M.F.A. in Acting from the University of California, Irvine.

Please welcome Carrie Baker as the new CLA dean!

Address

1747 South Chandalar Drive, Gruening Building, Room 404
Fairbanks, AK
99775

Telephone

+19074747231

Website

http://www.uaf.edu/cla/

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