FNBA Supports UAA Finance Education Hub
The computer lab inside UAA’s Rasmuson Hall is being furnished as a Finance Lab.
Alaska Business
Equipped for Business
The lab will give students access to industry data sources and finance software, providing experience that applies in the workplace. The finance lab will also be equipped with space for professional presentations on stock analysis and portfolio management decisions, as students make real-world decisions about the Seawolf Investment Fund, which was endowed last year.
“First National Bank Alaska has been a friend to UAA for decades,” says Chancellor Sean Parnell. “As it celebrates its 100th anniversary, we are proud of our close collaboration in support of students and the strengthening of Alaska’s workforce through these initiatives.”
The Seawolf Stock Ticker installed last month in UAA’s Rasmuson Hall, home of CBPP, was also funded by FNBA. These gifts total nearly $500,000 and complement the student managed Seawolf Investment Fund, established in 2021 with a $1 million donation from Gary and Jane Cuddy Klopfer. Together, they provide tangible milestones toward creating a leading finance education hub for the UA System.
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January 2026
“We are incredibly grateful to First National Bank Alaska,” says John Nofsinger, CBPP dean and finance professor. “From the moment students walk into our building, the Seawolf Stock Ticker is a vivid reminder that we are a premier, AACSB-accredited business school.”
In addition to establishing UAA as a leading finance hub for the UA System, the FNBA gift supports broader strategic goals of the “For Alaska” fundraising campaign to enhance workforce development, foster educational access, and diversify Alaska’s economy.
CBPP offers fifteen undergraduate and graduate degree programs and seven certificates. Its business programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Fewer than 5 percent of schools offering degree programs in business at the bachelor level or higher worldwide hold this distinction.
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We’re honored again this year to celebrate our partnership with Junior Achievement of Alaska, a nonprofit that educates local youth about enterprise, business, money, and financial literacy. In the special section, three Junior Achievement of Alaska students weigh in on their experience with the exceptional volunteers and teachers involved with the program.
And in Industry Support, we explore the range of varied services that industry in Alaska requires, from mancamps to spill response to off-grid energy solutions.
Outside the special sections, make sure to check out the 2026 Economic forecast, where Alaska leaders share their insights on what may lie ahead in the coming year. Enjoy!