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Alumni Spotlight - Kris Racina

Kris is the Associate Vice Chancellor of University and Student Advancement at UAF. She graduated from SOM with an MBA in 2009.

Why did you choose to attend UAF?
I grew up in Fairbanks and UAF has always been part of my life. My brothers and sisters attended school here, and my nieces and nephews are either enrolled or will soon be attending.



Share with us an outstanding teacher or class.
I was a “mathophobe,” fearful of math because of a bad experience with an elementary school teacher. Later at UAF, a developmental math teacher helped me crack the code by telling me “trust the formula, work the formula - the logic will eventually reveal itself.”

What is a favorite SOM memory?
Jim Collins’ take home final in MBA quantitative analysis. Don’t let him fool you; I spent 40 hours on it. That was the only time I ever had a meltdown when I visited a professor. Well, the only time I recall. Maybe Jim has a different memory of that day?!

What does being a UAF alumnus mean to you?
I belong to a community of shared experiences and understanding – a rigorous education that I am proud of and proud to help others achieve.

What’s the number one skill or practice that has contributed to your success?
The ability to sift through information and extract the essential elements needed for decision-making. The many case studies I read as a SOM student taught me you have to make decisions based on the information you have in front of you. Avoid commitment to a poor choice if you get new information that indicates a change of course - in the business world it’s all about being adaptable.

What advice would you give to current students?
Math teaches you how to think logically and is worth every bit of effort you put into it. After my experience with the developmental math teacher, I went on to achieve ‘As’ in every math class I took; I even loved calculus. I engage in logical analysis every day and that has been valuable in so many professional endeavors.

Snapshot

• Favorite breakfast food? Eggs, any style but over easy, especially with cheese.


• What book are you reading? “Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences.” Working on a Ph.D. - slowly but surely.


• Where is your dream vacation? New Zealand hiking trip; hopefully in December 2016.


• Last music download? Mindy Abair, “I Can’t Wait For Christmas.” She’s a great sax player and this is a super cool, jazzy, sexy Christmas song. Give it a listen; ‘tis the season.


• What's the best advice you didn't take? Don’t sell your first house. Argggghhh, I wish I had kept it as a rental unit.