UAF photo by Eric Engman.
UAF alumni and staff gather for the campus tour during Nanook Rendezvous 2025. Back
row, from left, are Nook, Kyle Agustines ’24, William Zybach ’81, Eleanor Smith ’75,
Mary Donaldson, Wayne Donaldson ’80 and Robert Seitz ’68. Front row, from left, are
UAF student assistant Keely Vatcher; Gwenetta Johnson ’96, ’99; Ray Alda ’21; Valerie
Demming ’75, ’84; Rhonda Widener ’01; UAF alumni relations storytelling manager Katie
Straub; and Judy Dellinger ’93.
Imagery and photos courtesy of alumni unless otherwise noted. Information is courtesy of alumni and public sources.
Stuart Watkins ’65, ’68 has published a new children’s book, “When Dragonflies Breathed Fire.” A retired teacher, Watkins has long enjoyed writing poems, short stories and children’s books, and he encourages others to share their work through publishing. He is an active member of the Arizona State Poetry Society, past president of the Tucson Poetry Society and a member of the Society of Southwestern Authors and SaddleBrooke Writer’s Club.
Before devoting his time to writing, Watkins built an impressive career in competitive shooting. He won a gold medal at the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia. While a student at UAF, he earned All-American honors four years in a row. In 1963, he was the collegiate national champion in both the small-bore and large-bore categories. Watkins also enjoys pointing out that he was the national “BB gun” rifle champion in 1969 — though the event was actually an air-rifle competition. The pellets were the size of BBs.
Karalee Watts ’13 led the rebranding effort at Spirit of Ӱԭ Credit Union, guiding her marketing team through the creation of a refreshed visual identity and an updated brand. Their work was honored nationally with two America’s Credit Unions Diamond Awards, one recognizing excellence in logo design and another for rebrand/new corporate identity.
Watts, who serves as the credit union’s vice president of marketing and community relations, submitted the project for consideration earlier this year, just ahead of the brand’s official launch. The recognition highlights the team’s creativity and dedication to strengthening the connection between Spirit of Ӱԭ Credit Union and the community it serves.
Chelsea Roehl ’17 is an art director for NBC Universal in Los Angeles, California. She leads design efforts to ensure the highest level of visual consistency across the Peacock platform for every new title launch.
Most recently, she was part of the team that delivered streaming access to the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad on Peacock, a project that earned a sports Emmy Award for outstanding interactive experience.
Nickole Conley ’21 has been appointed as the University of Ӱԭ system’s interim chief human resources officer.
Conley began her career at University of Ӱԭ Fairbanks in 2003 and has served as UAF chief of staff since 2018. Her roles before that include time as the chief financial officer for UAF’s College of Engineering and Mines and deputy operations director at the Ӱԭ Center for Energy and Power. Conley brings extensive experience in both human resources and finance and has played a key role in several universitywide initiatives, including strategic planning and advancing UAF’s R1 research designation. She also established the Signers’ Business Office — a shared services unit that supports campuswide functions in fiscal and grant management, procurement and human resources.
Destiny Reimers ’24 has been named graduate assistant coach for the University of Ӱԭ Fairbanks women’s basketball program following her selection as a Women’s Sports Foundation Tara VanDerveer Fund Fellow for the Advancement of Women in Coaching.
In her new role, Reimers will support all aspects of the Division II program in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Her responsibilities include program marketing, recruiting qualified student-athletes, advanced opponent scouting, coordinating team travel, providing academic case management and ensuring compliance with NCAA regulations.
A standout for the Nanooks from 2021-2025, Reimers averaged 11.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game over her career. As a senior in 2024-2025, she led the team in both average scoring (14) and rebounding (6.4) per game, while ranking second in assists (64), steals (47) and blocks (16). That season, she notched four 20-point performances and five double-doubles, earning GNAC All-Conference honorable mention recognition.
Reimers holds a Bachelor of Arts in rural development from UAF.
In memoriam
View a list of alumni and friends whose passage has been shared with us since the previous issue of Aurora.