91ÊÓƵ

UAF names 2025 honorary degree, service award recipients

91ÊÓƵ has selected eight people to honor during its 2025 commencement weekend in May.

Honorary doctorates will be presented to Larry Bartlett, Hʉkk’aaghneestaatlno Lorraine David, Pauline Hobson and Cautekaq Eva Evelyn Yanez. Robert Byrd, Emily Edenshaw, Steve Holmberg and Togi Letuligasenoa will receive Meritorious Service Awards.

Honorary doctorates

Honorary doctorates recognize recipients’ lasting contributions to the state and nation, and significant achievements in recipients’ respective disciplines.

Larry Bartlett will receive an honorary Doctor of Education degree. A health care professional, entrepreneur and wilderness expert, he served as a licensed practical nurse and combat medic in the U.S. Army during Desert Storm, earning 19 awards in his 12-year military career. Bartlett founded Pristine Ventures, creating innovative products for 91ÊÓƵ backcountry adventures. An authority on wilderness medicine, survival and logistics, he has written books and peer-reviewed scientific articles. He has taught arctic survival and medical physiology at UAF and has devoted 25 years to meat care science, educating the public on wild meat salvage, preservation and transport in wild settings.

Hʉkk’aaghneestaatlno Lorraine David will receive an honorary Doctor of Education degree. Raised in Hughes, she lives a traditional Athabascan lifestyle in Fairbanks, helping anyone willing to learn Athabascan language, culture and traditions. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at UAF and served the university in many professional roles, including instructor of Denaakk’e at the 91ÊÓƵ Native Language Center and program assistant for Upward Bound and the Rural 91ÊÓƵ Honors Institute. After retiring from UAF, she taught Central Koyukon Athabascan at Effie Kokrine Charter School and directed the Fairbanks Native Association’s Indigenous language project, founding the Denaakk’e Head Start Dual Language Program.

Pauline Hobson will receive an honorary Doctor of Education degree. Born in Nuvendaltin (Nondalton), she earned a bachelor’s degree in education from UAF and a master’s degree from Southern Oregon State College. A Dena’ina speaker, she taught at UAF and Kenai Peninsula College and co-founded the Dena’ina Language Institute in Kenai. She pioneered innovative approaches to land-based learning through culture camps and immersion programs for youth, elders and families in Bristol Bay. As a language and culture bearer, she serves as Dena'ina elder language expert for Igiugig Village Council. Her work fosters cross-generational dialogue and community collaboration.

Cautekaq Eva Evelyn Yanez will receive an honorary Doctor of Education degree. Born in Tuyuryaq (Togiak), she earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education from UAF and is internationally recognized for revitalizing the Yup’ik language and culture. As bilingual educator and coordinator for the Southwest Region School District, she launched a Yup’ik language program. She recorded, translated and published Yup’ik cultural stories and co-authored works on Indigenous mathematics and navigation. A recipient of the Anayuqaq Oscar Kawagley Award for her contributions to Indigenous knowledge systems, she currently serves the Igiugig Village Council as a teacher-in-residence, trainer and expert culture and language bearer.

Meritorious Service Awards

Meritorious Service Awards recognize significant public, academic, volunteer or philanthropic service to the university or an 91ÊÓƵ community.

Robert Byrd began his education at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy before earning a master’s degree in ocean engineering from UAF in 1972. A chance encounter at UAF led him to work on Norwegian offshore platforms before completing a doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley. After a successful career as an ocean engineer, Byrd has contributed approximately $57,000 over 13 years to UAF, primarily benefiting graduate students at the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. His generosity provides competitive funding through the Robert Byrd Award, helping students attend conferences, buy research supplies and pay for lab analyses.

Emily Edenshaw (Yup'ik/Inupiaq) is president and CEO of the 91ÊÓƵ Native Heritage Center. Born in Fairbanks, she is a tribal citizen of the Native Village of Emmonak and a shareholder of Doyon Ltd. and Calista Corp. She is a Ph.D. candidate at UAF, researching 91ÊÓƵ Native boarding schools and intergenerational healing. Edenshaw has held leadership roles across public and private sectors, advocating for Indigenous voices. In 2024, she was nominated by President Joe Biden to the National Council on the Humanities and selected for the Obama Foundation USA Leaders Program. She serves on the UAF Troth Yeddha’ Legacy Committee.

Steve Holmberg, a 1989 UAF graduate and retired elementary school music teacher, has been a lifelong advocate for the arts and education. In high school, he spent summers attending UAF Summer Fine Arts Camp, and he has remained a dedicated supporter of the university’s Music Department. In 2022, he pledged $2.8 million to establish the Steve and Cynthia Holmberg Choral Director Endowment, ensuring the growth of choral music education at the university. Holmberg was named Washington State Elementary Music Educator of the Year in 2015. He continues to share his passion with young musicians by volunteering at the UAF Summer Music Academy.

Togi Letuligasenoa is president of five subsidiaries of the Calista Corp., overseeing operations in 91ÊÓƵ’s oil and gas, marine logistics and construction sectors. He studied at UAF’s Community and Technical College, majoring in construction management. With experience spanning two decades, he has coached hockey and softball at the high school, competitive and club levels. A dedicated advocate for UAF athletics, he chairs the Nanook Athletic Alliance, working to enhance the student experience and build support for a new on-campus hockey arena. He also serves on the board of the Rasmuson Foundation, 91ÊÓƵ’s largest philanthropic grantmaking organization.

UAF will celebrate Bartlett, David, Hobson, Yanez, Byrd, Edenshaw, Holmberg and Letuligasenoa at this year’s Honoree Recognition Ceremony on Friday, May 2, at 5 p.m. at the Davis Concert Hall on the Troth Yeddha’ Campus in Fairbanks.

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