Iisaġvik College names Dr. Clarke Leichte dean of academic affairs
Iisaġvik chose an internal leader to steer academics as the Utqiaġvik college prepares a new campus and expands service to North Slope students.
Iisaġvik College has placed Dr. Clarke Leichte at the center of its next academic chapter, naming him dean of academic affairs as the Utqiaġvik tribal college sharpens its focus on programs, student support and workforce training for North Slope residents.
Leichte stepped into the role on May 4, and the college announced the appointment on May 28. He had been serving as assistant professor of business and chair of the Business Management, Accounting and Business Administration programs, making the move an internal promotion at a time when Iisaġvik is preparing for major institutional growth.
His background fits the college’s blend of academics and workforce development. Leichte holds a bachelor’s degree in communication, a master’s degree in entrepreneurship and a doctorate in business administration. The college said he began teaching in 2012 as an adjunct instructor at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College in North Carolina, then taught at Tri-County Community College, Mars Hill University and the University of Pikeville before coming to Utqiaġvik.
At Iisaġvik, Leichte has already worked beyond the classroom. The college said he served as faculty advisor to the Student Government Association, vice president of Academic Council and vice president of Faculty Association. He also led a high school entrepreneurship camp at Iisaġvik in summer 2025, a sign of how closely academic programming at the college is tied to early workforce preparation.
The appointment comes as the college prepares to consolidate its scattered footprint. Iisaġvik and Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation announced on May 20 that they had completed a purchase agreement for a 15-acre future campus site near Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital. College leaders have said the new campus is meant to replace aging leased facilities and bring programs under one roof. Right now, Iisaġvik says its programs are spread across 13 buildings, including a 70-year-old former naval base 2.5 miles out of town.
That makes the dean’s job especially consequential for students who rely on Iisaġvik as the region’s only tribal college. The school said it enrolled 988 students in the 2024-25 academic year, with 63% identified as Alaska Native or American Indian, and awarded more than $1 million in total aid. Every degree plan includes Iñupiaq Studies content, and the college offers tuition waivers for Alaska Natives, American Indians, Elders and all North Slope Borough residents.
President Justina Wilhelm said Leichte arrived in Utqiaġvik in 2024 and had shown “a deep commitment to students, communities, and the college mission.” In a year when Iisaġvik is marking its 30th anniversary, the choice of an experienced in-house academic leader signals continuity as well as change, with student pathways, campus planning and regional workforce needs increasingly tied together.
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