University of Alaska Anchorage Chancellor Fran Ulmer was inducted into the Seawolf Hall of Fame at a surprise ceremony today at the 2010 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout coaches luncheon at the Hotel Captain Cook.
As chancellor of UAA since 2007, Ulmer has provided leadership which resulted in unparalleled success of Seawolf student-athletes both in competition and in the classroom.
She presided over a period of growth and progress, and her unwavering support helped UAA avoid the demise of the nationally-renowned Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout.
Moreover, Chancellor Ulmer spearheaded the drive for a new on-campus sports arena by establishing it as a university priority. Her even hand and calm voice have been an inspiration to all of Seawolf Nation.
In addition to serving as UAA's Chancellor, Ms. Ulmer was appointed by President Barack Obama in June 2010 to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling.
The commission was charged with investigating the causes of the explosion and oil spill, and recommending changes to prevent future disasters from occurring. Prior to her appointment to the oil spill commission, Ms. Ulmer was a member of the Aspen Institute's Commission on Arctic Climate Change and held Board positions with the Alaska Nature Conservancy, the National Parks Conservation Association and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Appointed Chancellor in 2007, Ms. Ulmer previously was a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research at UAA. During her more than 30 years of work in public service on the local, state and national level, Ms. Ulmer has helped to shape both public and environmental policy.
As a state legislator, Ms. Ulmer served on the Special Committee on the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Claims Settlement. In addition, she was the first Chair of the Alaska Coastal Policy Council and served for more than 10 years on the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission.
Ms. Ulmer served as an elected official for 18 years as the mayor of Juneau, a state representative and as Lieutenant Governor of Alaska. As Director of Policy Development for the State of Alaska, Ms. Ulmer managed diverse programs, including coastal management, intergovernmental coordination, and public participation initiatives.
At the national level, Ms. Ulmer served as a member of the Federal Communications Commission's State and Local Advisory Committee, the Federal Elections Commission's State Advisory Committee and co-chaired the National Academies of Science's Committee on State Voter Registration Databases.
Ms. Ulmer earned a J.D. cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School, and has been a Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government.
