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Dr. Smentkowski joins UA from the University of Idaho, where he was the founding director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and also served as a professor of political science.

Dr. Smentkowski earned his B.A. in American politics from Marshall University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Kentucky. Prior to the University of Idaho, he served as the director of the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence at Queens University of Charlotte; director of faculty and academic development programming at Appalachian State University; and as a faculty member and associate dean at Southeast Missouri State University. As a part of the transition, Dr. Smentkowski will visit all three of UA’s universities in person in his first months.

Teri Cothren serves as the Associate Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs for the University of Alaska, providing strategic leadership for statewide initiatives that advance student success, academic excellence, workforce development, and industry engagement. She has dedicated nearly two decades to the university system, collaboratively supporting and leading efforts that strengthen educational pathways, expand access to postsecondary opportunities, and align academic programs with Alaska’s workforce and economic priorities.

Cothren holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Alaska Anchorage and a graduate degree in public administration from the University of Alaska Southeast, where she received the Ernest Gruening Award for Outstanding Graduate.

Gwendolyn (Gwen) Gruenig serves as Associate Vice President of Institutional Research and Analysis. She has held various positions with the university since 1993 and currently oversees a wide range of functional responsibilities for the UA system, including: institutional, operational and policy research and analysis; planning support and standards; enterprise-wide decision-support data and reporting, setting common reporting standards; university survey assessments; external reporting to federal, state government and private entities; performance-based budgeting; accountability and performance assessment.

Gruenig is a life-long Alaskan and brings a broad range of experience to her current position. Her education includes an undergraduate degree in psychology and a graduate degree in statistics. In addition to her duties with the system office, Gruenig is a former adjunct faculty member, teaching introductory statistics courses for the UAF mathematics department. She has also been employed as a statistical consultant to researchers and private businesses for a number of years, specializing in social science research and project management.