Fort Wainwright commander named next UAF chancellor in Arctic leadership shift

A Fort Wainwright commander with deep Arctic credentials is moving into one of the state’s most important education posts, a change that could influence how the University of Alaska Fairbanks serves rural students, trains teachers, and builds career paths that reach North Slope communities.

Colonel Russell “Russ” Vander Lugt, the current commander of the 11th Airborne Division’s Arctic Aviation Command, was selected May 27 as the next permanent UAF chancellor. He is set to take over on September 8, succeeding Interim Chancellor Mike Sfraga, whose last day is May 30. The university said the national search began in September 2025, drew 50 applicants, and narrowed to four finalists who visited Fairbanks during the week of May 4-8 for meetings, open forums, and community engagement.

The appointment ties UAF’s next leader to both military Arctic operations and Alaska scholarship. Vander Lugt is a 20-year Alaska resident, a UAF alumnus, and holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Arctic and Northern History from the university. His dissertation examined first encounters between the U.S. Army and Alaska Native residents in the Tanana, Copper, and Koyukuk valleys, a background that gives him academic grounding in the history of the communities UAF says it serves across the state.

His military record is equally central to the hire. Vander Lugt served as director of strategy, plans and programs for Alaskan Command at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson before taking command of the Arctic Aviation Command on August 8, 2024. The brigade-level unit oversees all active-duty aviation elements in Alaska, including about 70 aircraft, roughly 1,300 employees, and assets valued at about $1.5 billion.

University leaders cast the selection as a signal about UAF’s role in Alaska and the Arctic. Interim President Michelle Rizk said Vander Lugt’s background in academia, the military, and the Arctic matches the university’s research and national security mission. Vander Lugt said he wanted to lead through trust, transparency, and teamwork as Alaska and the Arctic change through education, research, and public service.

For North Slope families, the question now is how that leadership will translate into action at the Troth Yeddha’ campus and beyond. Rural access, distance education, teacher preparation, scholarships, and partnerships that keep students connected to UAF all depend on whether the new chancellor treats village outreach as a core responsibility, not an afterthought.

The transition also comes after a stretch of turnover at the top of UAF. Former Chancellor Dan White announced his retirement in May 2025, and Larry Hinzman, former UAF vice chancellor for research and now director of the UA Arctic Leadership Initiative, will serve as interim chancellor during the gap before Vander Lugt starts. The reported base salary for the new chancellor is $309,000.