UAS Honors Local Journalists with Joint Meritorious Service Award
This year, UAS will honor Thad and Sandy Poulson with a Joint Meritorious Service Award, to be presented during the Sitka campus ceremony on Friday May 3rd.
Sitka, Alaska
Date of Press Release: April 30, 2024
Each year, with the approval of the University of Alaska Board of Regents, the University of Alaska Southeast uses the occasion of commencement to recognize exceptional individuals in the community. Honorary degrees are bestowed on individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the University, to the State of Alaska, and/or to the individual’s discipline or profession. This year, UAS will honor Thad and Sandy Poulson with a Joint Meritorious Service Award, to be presented during the Sitka campus ceremony on Friday May 3rd.
Thad and Sandy, both journalists, moved to Sitka in 1969 to take over the Daily Sitka Sentinel, and 55 years later they are still running the paper with the care and dedication with which they began. The Daily Sitka Sentinel is one of the last independent daily newspapers in the country and is a tribute to the Poulsons’ decades-long commitment and service to providing the community with high quality journalism characterized by accurate and informative news coverage of local, state, and national news.
The Poulsons understand the culture of small-town newspapers, and highlight local news with objective reporting and empathy. They continued to stand at the helm of the Sentinel as a testament to their commitment to the community, and the importance of accurate, timely information to a democratic society. Now in their 80s, the Poulsons remain in the trenches publishing a paper and ink newspaper, and doing it with verve. UAS Chancellor Aparna Palmer notes, “Their exemplary contribution to the community is worthy of recognition. UAS is thrilled to give them an award that honors their amazing, enduring commitment to Sitka and the people of Southeast Alaska.”
Thad & Sandy Poulson will be honored in person during the UAS Sitka Campus Commencement Ceremony on Friday May 3rd.