This past week, the Alaska World Affairs Council welcomed a full house to the BP Energy Center for a deeply engaging luncheon with Ambassador William Taylor, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, in conversation with Ambassador Mike Sfraga, Interim Chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Their discussion centered on the ongoing war in Ukraine and its broader implications for U.S. engagement and global stability.
In the evening, we hosted an intimate reception for board members, donors, and supporters at the home of one of our Board members, providing a warm setting to continue the dialogue with Ambassador Taylor. The next day, both ambassadors traveled north to Fairbanks to bring the conversation to the UAF community — a continuation of our commitment to expand important global discussions beyond Anchorage.
About the Speakers
Ambassador William B. Taylor is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Prior to the Atlantic Council, Taylor was vice president, Europe and Russia at the US Institute of Peace.
From 2006 to 2009, Taylor served as the US ambassador to Ukraine and as the chargé d’affaires ad interim from 2019 to 2020 at the US embassy in Kyiv.
Beyond Ukraine, Taylor served as the special coordinator for Middle East Transitions at the US Department of State from 2011 to 2013, where he oversaw assistance and support to the Middle East during the Arab Spring—including support to Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Syria. Prior to his tenure in the Middle East Transitions Team and Kyiv, Taylor served as the US government’s representative to the Mideast Quartet from Jerusalem. From 2004 to 2005, Taylor served in Baghdad as director of the Iraq Reconstruction Office; from 2002 to 2003 he served in Kabul as coordinator of US government and international assistance to Afghanistan; and from 1992 to 2002, he served in Washington as coordinator of US government assistance to former Soviet Union countries and Eastern Europe.
Taylor holds a Bachelor of Science from the US Military Academy in West Point, New York, and a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Taylor also served as an infantry platoon leader and combat company commander in the US Army in Vietnam and Germany.
Ambassador Mike Sfraga (ret.), Ph.D., serves as interim chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. A geographer by training and a leading voice on Arctic affairs, Sfraga was nominated by President Joseph Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the nation’s first ambassador-at-large for Arctic affairs. He previously chaired the U.S. Arctic Research Commission and served as founding director of the Polar Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
With nearly four decades of experience in Arctic research, policy, and diplomacy, Ambassador Sfraga brings deep insight into the evolving geopolitical and environmental dynamics of the region. He frequently moderates and leads high-level discussions around Arctic security, governance, and U.S. foreign policy, including at the Munich Security Conference Arctic Security Roundtable.
A Fulbright Scholar and author, Sfraga earned the first Ph.D. in Northern studies and geography from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he also completed his undergraduate studies. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and continues to advise and engage in national and international Arctic policy dialogues.
Gratitude & Partnerships
We extend heartfelt thanks to our partners and supporters for making this event possible:
University of Alaska Fairbanks, for helping us bring this conversation to Fairbanks and deepening the impact of Ambassador Taylor and Ambassador Sfraga’s insights.
Our board members and volunteers, whose behind-the-scenes work made both the luncheon and evening reception run smoothly and meaningfully.
We’re proud to foster moments like these — bringing world-class leaders to Alaska and strengthening our community’s understanding of critical global issues.
