Four outstanding staff receive 2023 Chancellor’s Cornerstone Award

Four outstanding staff members have been honored as Chancellor’s Cornerstone Award winners for 2023. The following four individuals will receive their awards during Staff Recognition and Development Day on April 5, 2023:

Felicia Burud, alumni relations manager, Alumni Relations
Tracy Coon, site manager/lead electrical engineer, HAARP
Lisa Yancey, academic and administrative affairs manager, CRCD
Casey Stagno, CT3 equipment operator, Facilities Services

The Chancellor’s Cornerstone Award recognizes UAF staff for sustained outstanding contributions toward accomplishing and enhancing the UAF mission and strategic plan. The recipients will receive their awards at the longevity and Cornerstone awards ceremony during the 2023 Staff Recognition and Development Day. The ceremony is from 10-11:30 a.m. in the Schaible Auditorium.

Felicia Burud, alumni relations manager, Alumni Relations
Felicia is a lifelong 91��Ƶn who was born and raised in Fairbanks. She is a proud UAF alum who holds a B.A. in communication and is passionate about promoting awareness of Nanook Nation and all things UAF, while engaging the Fairbanks community as a partner.

Felicia is one of UAF’s most passionate ambassadors, always seen proudly sporting blue and gold whether she’s on campus or out in the community. Felicia’s nominators describe her as “UAF’s biggest cheerleader” and “quite possibly the most proud UAF staff member I have met.”

She has worked at UAF for nearly 18 years, most recently as the program coordinator for the Graduate School and Interdisciplinary Studies. In addition to her regular duties in Alumni Relations, Felicia volunteers with Summer Sessions to host the popular Music in the Garden series. Felicia has built bridges between the university, alumni and the broader Fairbanks community through the Music in the Garden series.

Many nominators noted Felicia’s commitment to creating a culture of inclusion and belonging. One nomination notes, “In my 15 years working in development, I have never worked with anyone more effective at building inclusive spaces than Felicia.” Whether interacting with university leadership, leaders in the community, faculty or staff, Felicia strives to make everyone feel special.

Tracy Coon, site manager/lead electrical engineer, HAARP
Tracy Coon overcomes unique challenges in her role as the site manager and electrical engineer at HAARP. In her role, Tracy supports the remote, world-class, $290 million, 5,408-acre subarctic research site with an outstanding record of success.

One example of Tracy’s ability to overcome the challenges of maintaining HAARP’s leadership in radio and space physics research came in the fall of 2022 when the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech approached HAARP with a request to support a groundbreaking experiment with just two months’ notice. Despite the significant challenges, Tracy demonstrated an unwavering dedication to the project. She motivated her team and ensured they were focused on the value of discovery science and the opportunity to strengthen UAF's research position in the global community.

In her support of HAARP, Tracy provides unwavering dedication to UAF’s mission as a research university.

Lisa Yancey, academic and administrative affairs manager, CRCD
Lisa Yancey is an excellent example of the essential work that administrative professionals undertake to support their units. As the academic and administrative affairs manager for the College of Rural and Community Development, Lisa gladly takes on tasks and responsibilities to ensure that CRCD and the rural campuses run smoothly and provide the best possible service to students.

Lisa was nominated by all 5 CRCD campus directors – Barb Amarok, Julie Biddle, Minnie Naylor, Carolyn Goolsby and Wanda Wahl – who note that “on every question asked and every item she handles, Lisa takes ownership. Her daily work requires accuracy – she exceeds our expectations in that.” It is clear from her nominations that Lisa is an invaluable, positive asset to CRCD and the university as a whole.

Lisa serves as a champion for CRCD, UAF’s rural campuses and the communities they serve. The campus directors describe Lisa as a compassionate, inclusive leader who strives to center the needs of Native students, faculty and staff at UAF.

Casey Stagno, CT3 equipment operator, Facilities Services
In his 17 years of service to UAF, Casey Stagno has worked his way up from a student worker on the Grounds Crew to being a full-time member of the Facilities Services grounds night crew, servicing the roads and parking lots while the Troth Yeddha’ campus sleeps.

Casey is described as the unofficial problem solver in the Operations division of Facilities Services, taking on responsibilities beyond his position by planning and executing special projects. Specific examples include building and updating the UAF Golden Days float for the last eight years; finding a 4,000-gallon water truck, passenger buses, and a street sweeper at auction; and working with purchasing to acquire these items, all while saving the university money.

From the desire to create flawless access to campus in the winter, to serving behind the scenes to make sure events like Sparktacular and Golden Days go off without a hitch, to enriching the campus experience for residents and visitors by taking on special projects like building garden boxes for the Community Garden and pavilions with fire pits, Casey is described as an exemplary employee, deserving of recognition.