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February 3, 2026

MEDIA ADVISORY: Leaders from the University of ����ֱ����Ƶ will meet with ConocoPhillips ����ֱ����Ƶ President Erec Isaacson on Wednesday, February 4, at 1 p.m. at the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building to formally present the gift to the University Foundation. Media are invited for photo/video opportunities and to conduct media interviews.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2026

University of ����ֱ����Ƶ Process Technology Support Fund launched with $400,000 contribution from ConocoPhillips ����ֱ����Ƶ

Funds will support process technology programs in Fairbanks, Kenai; enhance career opportunities for future generations

ANCHORAGE — ConocoPhillips ����ֱ����Ƶ and the University of ����ֱ����Ƶ (UA) announced the launch of the ConocoPhillips ����ֱ����Ƶ Process Technology Support Fund, aimed at developing and securing the future of ����ֱ����Ƶ’s industrial workforce. Anchored by a $400,000 gift from ConocoPhillips ����ֱ����Ƶ to benefit UA’s Process Technology Programs in Fairbanks and on the Kenai Peninsula, this contribution and partnership represent a commitment to sustaining high-demand jobs that power ����ֱ����Ƶ’s energy, mining and water treatment sectors.

The fund helps connect classroom learning with the skills students need to step directly into industry careers. These programs are already delivering results, with 87% of UA Process Technology graduates entering ����ֱ����Ƶ’s workforce within a year of graduation. Continued investment ensures this successful talent pipeline remains strong and supports critical industries across the state well into the future.

“UA empowers ����ֱ����Ƶ’s workforce and economy, and I’m grateful to ConocoPhillips ����ֱ����Ƶ for their support of essential workforce programs,” said UA President Pat Pitney. “These programs are helping us build ����ֱ����Ƶ’s future workforce, and the ConocoPhillips ����ֱ����Ƶ Process Technology Support Fund will help UA address ����ֱ����Ƶ’s workforce, energy, and economic demands, while also offering the opportunity for more partners to invest in this vital degree program that benefits many of the state’s key industries and ����ֱ����Ƶ’s economy.”

ConocoPhillips ����ֱ����Ƶ has a long history of supporting the ����ֱ����Ƶ, investing more than $5 million in the last ten years, and builds on that legacy by providing funding to modernize program facilities and expanding technical access training for ����ֱ����Ƶns statewide.

“The University of ����ֱ����Ƶ’s Process Technology program has been an integral part of building ����ֱ����Ƶ’s workforce, especially at ConocoPhillips,” said Erec Isaacson, ConocoPhillips ����ֱ����Ƶ President. “Many of our talented operators graduated from this program, gaining hands on skills and real-world experience that prepared them to step into critical roles. This investment underscores our longstanding commitment to developing ����ֱ����Ƶ’s future workforce and preparing the next generation of operators who will power ����ֱ����Ƶ’s future.”

Strategic impact across the UA System

This fund specifically supports the capacity of the University of ����ֱ����Ƶ Fairbanks’ (UAF) Community and Technical College and the University of ����ֱ����Ƶ Anchorage’s Kenai Peninsula College (KPC) to:

• Create early pathways: Dual enrollment at both UAF and KPC will provide high school students with early access to technical training before graduation.
• Enhance instructional capacity:

• The UAF CTC lab will undergo facility maintenance, receive additional instructional support, and update equipment to ensure students train on industry-relevant systems.
• At KPC, access to a mobile simulator will help train adjunct faculty and those in the “Train the Teachers” program.

• Strengthen recruitment efforts and program visibility: The gift includes support for promotional materials, advertising, and recruitment travel to reach potential students around the state, especially in rural areas.

The University of ����ֱ����Ƶ inspires learning, and advances and disseminates knowledge through teaching, research, and public service, emphasizing the North and its diverse peoples. A land-, sea- and space-grant system of higher education established in 1917, the UA system’s three universities (, , and ) are separately accredited institutions with 11 community campuses and extended learning centers across the state of ����ֱ����Ƶ.

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For more information, contact Jonathon Taylor, director of public affairs at 907-350-0168 (cell), or via email at jmtaylor9@alaska.edu.