Q & A with chancellor Lee Gorsuch: after 28 years at UAA, Gorsuch will retire in June, leaving behind a list of accomplishments that include adding new dorms and working to keep young Alaskans in state.

• Author: Mehta, Neil
• Position: University of Alaska: Anchorage - Interview

Few people have contributed more to the development of higher education in Alaska than University of Alaska Anchorage Chancellor Lee Gorsuch. In a career at the university that has spanned 28 years, the last 10 of which have been spent at the helm, Gorsuch has overseen the transformation of the once sleepy can> pus of commuter students to a bustling college environment.

"When I came into the chancellorship, I "knew one of the big challenges that faced higher education in Alaska was that there was a very high percentage of college-bound high school graduates who left the state for college, never to return," Gorsuch said.

"Many of Alaska's sharpest minds, our future leaders, were leaving. So my challenge was to figure out a way to attract more young Alaskans to our university."

The key to doing so, Gorsuch believed, was by providing students with a well-rounded college experience. Under his leadership, new residence halls have been built, on-campus student activities have been encouraged and an honors program has been introduced. In return, the university has evidenced die largest expansion in its history with significant increases in students, faculty and staff.

Today, Gorsuch oversees five colleges and schools on the Anchorage campus, the extended college campuses of the Matanuska Susitna Valley, Kenai, Kodiak and Prince William Sound, and the statewide delivery of education programs to the military, altogether serving approximately 20,000 students.

Gorsuch recently announced his intention to retire in June, citing a desire to spend time with his family and health concerns.

"No matter where I go, the University of Alaska will always be a part of my being," said the chancellor. "I will always treasure my experiences here and I intend to be a part of the school as long as I live, just in a different capacity."

Chancellor Gorsuch recently spoke to Alaska Business Monthly about his career, the university and his future.

ABM: You joined the University of Alaska in 1976 to run the university's Institute of Social and Economic research. What attracted you to the opportunity?

Gorsuch: I first came to Alaska in 1971 to help the Alaska Native community achieve a settlement of their land claims. Through the Alaska Native Foundation, I assisted Native associations with fund-raising and in implementation of the Settlement Act. That experience provided a tremendous opportunity for me to learn about and contribute to Alaska's social and economic development.

When I was offered the opportunity at the University of Alaska, I knew the institute studied the forces of and the influences behind Alaska's social and economic development and...