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CTC building named for Michele Stalder

The University of Alaska Board of Regents this spring approved a request to name the 51�������� Community and Technical College building in downtown Fairbanks for CTC Dean Emeritus Michele Stalder.

The naming was announced during a June 13 celebration of life for Stalder, who died in February after a lengthy cancer battle.

Stalder, who began her career at 51�������� in 1981 as an administrative clerk at what was then the Tanana Valley Community Campus, was known as an advocate for both the community college mission and for the students she served over the course of more than 40 years. Her philosophy was reflected in a statement she was known for: Education is medicine, and it should be available for anyone who wants to learn.

“Given her unstoppable commitment to student success and removing barriers to education, it’s fitting that her name is now on our campus forever,” said Interim Chancellor Larry Hinzman. “Her legacy is secure in the thousands of lives she transformed.”

More than 80 people, including industry leaders, elected officials and longtime colleagues, signed a letter of support for the naming, wrote former chancellor Mike Sfraga in a nomination letter to the Board of Regents. “Such an overwhelming endorsement is not a formality; it is a testament to the profound respect Michele earned statewide and a collective affirmation that naming this facility in her honor is a fitting tribute to her life’s work.”

That work included time as an adjunct faculty member, an assistant to the dean and director through two reorganizations and CTC’s first accreditation, a staff member in advising and student services, and associate director. In 2010, she was appointed interim dean of CTC and in 2012 was named to the permanent position. She served as CTC’s leader and champion until her retirement in 2023.

Stalder’s son, Bill Bailey, said the family is deeply honored and grateful that her name will grace the place she dedicated her career to.

“Throughout her life, Michele had a gift for helping the unseen feel seen and the unsupported feel supported. She never measured success by titles or recognition, but by whether she had made a difference in someone's life,” he said. “Knowing that future generations of students will encounter her name as part of their own educational journey is both humbling and deeply meaningful to our family. We are thankful that the values she lived by — service, compassion, and belief in others — will continue to be reflected through the institution she loved.”

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