�ֻ�ֱ�� Native Language Center update

Oct. 22, 2026

— By Bryan Uher, interim vice chancellor of rural, community and Native education

With the fall semester in full swing, we've made progress toward revitalizing the �ֻ�ֱ�� Native Language Center. The feedback we received last spring and over the summer has helped shape our direction and we intend to continue investing and working with stakeholders from across the state to ensure a stable and flourishing ANLC. I wanted to provide a status update on a few topics we discussed last academic year.

New hires:
In August, we opened recruitment for the ANLC director, and the search committee is currently working through the recruitment process. The hiring committee is chaired by Sally Samson, ANLC department chair. Based on feedback, we changed the position from faculty to staff so the director can focus on supporting ANLC faculty, staff and community interests and services. This shift is projected to increase financial, archival, publication and research support, along with community engagement.

Over the summer, we hired Nalugaluria Usugan-Weddington as an assistant professor of Yup’ik language serving in a full-time faculty role. We look forward to the teaching, research and service that he will bring to ANLC. Usugan-Weddington is an experienced Yup’ik language instructor who most recently taught in the program during the 2025–26 academic year and will be based primarily at the Troth Yeddha’ campus.

New funding:
Recently, the College of Indigenous Studies worked with �ֻ�ֱ�� Native Archives collection manager John DiCandeloro to secure a new $100K grant from the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. The grant will help the �ֻ�ֱ�� Native Language Archives better represent its collection by providing a stronger system for tracking materials and allowing patrons to access collections through an online catalog. This is exciting as we push to secure new funding for ANLC to expand operations.

New Board of Advisors:
After discussions with Chancellor Russ Vander Lugt, we identified the need for ANLC to have its own advisory board. I am pleased to announce that, once we hire a new ANLC director, we will form a new ANLC Board of Advisors to provide continued support and direction for ANLC. The Board of Advisors' guiding principles were developed in collaboration with Lawrence Kaplan, past director and ANLC professor emeritus.

As the state legislature prepares for its return to Juneau in January, we look forward to their continued interest and conversations about addressing the original state statute and any updates needed to reflect �ֻ�ֱ��'s current and future language work needs.