UAA College of Business and Public Policy

Dr. Sandra Ehrlich Appointed Director of Graduate Business Programs

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Sandra G. Ehrlich on her new appointment as Director of Graduate Business Programs at the College of Business and Public Policy (CBPP). An Associate Professor of Management & Marketing, Dr. Ehrlich is a management, leadership, and fund development consultant with more than 35 years of increasing responsibility in the private and public sector and has been with the CBPP since 2011.

Dr. Ehrlich earned her B.S. in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, received her M.S. in Integrated Marketing at Northwestern University and went on to achieve her Doctorate in Management and Leadership at Webster University.

Before making her way up to Alaska, Dr. Ehrlich was on the road for up to three weeks each month as a national consultant. She says, “If you merged scenes from the movies ‘Up in the Air’ and ‘Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,’ that was my life. A road warrior, I lived out of a roller bag for almost seven years.” On her way home to the Midwest from one such trip working with a client in upstate New York, she found herself in the midst of several days of flight delays, cancellations, and airport closures. That’s when she realized she needed change and was ready for a new challenge.

Dr. Ehrlich says, “The sojourn north to Alaska was in search of a vista. My goal was to wake up every day, thankful for the beauty that surrounded me. While touring Alaska, my husband Peter and I found the remote town of Talkeetna in the shadow of Denali. Or, rather, it found us. This quaint, remote, artisan community was a place I knew our family could make a difference.”

In her leadership role as the UAA Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFÉ) Team-Based and Collaborative Learning Faculty Associate, she champions and advances innovative, evidence-based, high-impact initiatives at UAA. This expertise extends to her service on the UAA CAFÉ Advisory Council. Working alongside CAFÉ leadership and faculty across the university, she identifies key programming needs and recommends strategic courses of action. As the only certified Team-Based Learning trainer-consultant in Alaska, she facilitates workshops and intensives for University of Alaska faculty. She serves as a mentor, liaison, and conduit to pedagogically orient, ground, and immerse faculty in team-based and collaborative learning. For her exemplary commitment and dedication to teaching excellence, she received the UAA CAFÉ Faculty Excellence Award, as well as the College of Business and Public Policy Teacher of the Year award.

Dr. Ehrlich is a passionate and preeminent leader in the philanthropic sector. She’s one of 30 international candidates selected for the CFRE Ambassador Program and Alaska’s first CFRE International Ambassador. One of just 36 Certified Fund Raising Executives (CFRE) in Alaska, Sandra has successfully raised more than $50 million for national and local nonprofits. For her vital contributions and exemplary leadership in the nonprofit sector, she received the coveted Outstanding Professional in Philanthropy award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Alaska Chapter. She is the President-Elect of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Alaska Chapter. Dr. Ehrlich is also the Board President of the Friends of Talkeetna Library, and she and her team raised $5.2 million in three years to build a library and community resource center in her hometown.

When she’s not working, Dr. Ehrlich recharges in Alaska’s legendary outdoors. She says, “The Alaskan wilderness draws me. My husband and I share this experience with others through Talkeetna Fly Fishing Expeditions and the Talkeetna Cabins at Montana Creek. These ‘tiny’ dry cabins rest on the bank of the south fork of the creek. During the summer, you can watch salmon spawn from the decks.” Aside from fly fishing walk-ins and jet boat trips into the Upper Susitna Valley, she loves exploring the state during the summer. She unwinds by creating mosaics, some of which greet her cabin guests.

When asked about taking on this exciting new role, Dr. Ehrlich said, “As a lifelong learner, I have seen the transformational power of education in my life. One of my goals as the Director of Graduate Programs is student success. I look forward to having the opportunity to challenge students' thinking and to change students' lives by making an impact on the trajectory of their careers.”