University of Alaska President Pat Pitney will retire this spring.
After winning an Olympic gold medal in air rifle, Pitney began working for the university in 1991 and served in several positions at the statewide office and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. During that time, Pitney and her then-husband coached the UAF rifle team. She was also director of the state Office of Budget and Management from 2014 to 2018.
Pitney worked as the state legislative finance director before being appointed as interim president at UA in 2020, following the resignation of Jim Johnsen. She permanently took on the role in 2022, becoming the university’s first permanent female president.
Pitney said she took on the role during a difficult period, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and declining state funding.
“There was a lot of uncertainty and a lot of unrest at the university, and just navigating through that to bring the institution back around to enrollment, enrollment growth, and, you know, positive reputation,” she said.
During her time as president, the university increased its enrollment and expanded the UA Scholars Program and Alaska Performance Scholarship.
The university saw enrollment increase by 4% from fall 2022 to fall 2024. Enrollment is projected to keep going up by another 4% this school year.
Pitney said federal uncertainty remains a challenge. According to an update at the UA Board of Regents meeting last week, the federal government has frozen, delayed and terminated close to $25 million in federal grants. That leaves about 95% of the university’s research portfolio intact.
“We’re positioned well and doing well in this environment, and so for the most part, just keeping people focused on what it is that we can do,” she said.
University of Alaska Southeast Chancellor Aparna Palmer was hired during Pitney’s tenure. Palmer says she appreciates Pitney recognizing the importance of all campuses in the university.
“When it comes to UAS, she has been really supportive of our success as an institution, and also really, like, supportive of innovative ideas,” she said.
Palmer said those included UAS’s decision to offer in-state tuition to all undergraduate students starting next year.
The university is contracting with executive search firm WittKieffer to help with finding a new president.
Pitney plans to retire after the May Board of Regents meeting.
Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Joey Crum’s and Jim Johnsen's names. The story has also been updated to reflect that Pitney and her husband are divorced.