Ů�źϼ�F Alumni Association honors former Ů�źϼ� regent John Davies, among others

February 6, 2026

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Alumni Association has named former Ů�źϼ� regent John Davies and broadcaster Bruce Cech as its 2026 award recipients, recognizing their exceptional achievements.

a man with grey hair and black glasses — Courtesy of John Davies John Davies

Ů�źϼ�FAA is honoring Davies with the 2026 Distinguished Alumnus Award for his decades of service to the University of Alaska and the Fairbanks community. Cech receives the 2026 William R. Cashen Service Award for his more than four decades of service to Nanook Nation.

The awards will be presented at the opening reception for Ů�źϼ�F’s all-class reunion, Nanook Rendezvous, on July 16, 2026.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated meritorious service on behalf of Ů�źϼ�F, distinguished accomplishments in business and professional life or outstanding contributions to community affairs.

Davies began his affiliation with Ů�źϼ�F in 1967 at the Geophysical Institute and earned both his master’s and Ph.D. in geology and geophysics, focusing on seismology. He later served as Alaska’s state seismologist, followed by public service as a Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly member and a decade in the Alaska House of Representatives, where he was a strong advocate for the Interior and the university.

His career also includes leadership roles as research director for the Ů�źϼ�F Cold Climate Housing Research Center, service on the University of Alaska Board of Regents from 2014–2022, and long-standing involvement with the Ů�źϼ�F Alumni Association.

a man broadcasts with headphones — Courtesy of Bruce Cech Bruce Cech

Davies is also widely respected for his volunteer service and leadership across numerous community and energy-focused organizations. His lifetime of service has strengthened the university, the Fairbanks community and the state of Alaska.

The William R. Cashen Service Award honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service to Ů�źϼ�F and the alumni association.

For generations, Cech has been synonymous with Ů�źϼ�F athletics, earning his reputation as the enduring and beloved “Voice of the Nanooks.” Born in Saginaw, Michigan, Cech began his broadcasting career in Fairbanks, where an early radio position quickly evolved into a lifelong connection with Nanook athletics and the Fairbanks community.

Now in his 37th season broadcasting Nanook hockey — his third season broadcasting remotely — Cech’s career has spanned nine head hockey coaches and 18 athletic and interim athletic directors. Cech credits the support of colleagues, friends and partners across Ů�źϼ�F and Fairbanks, as well as the KSŮ�źϼ� student radio station, for his successful career.

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