University of Alaska Foundation welcomes Gwendolyn Gruenig and Emanuel Thomas
August 10, 2026
The University of Alaska Foundation has hired two new employees: Gwendolyn Gruenig, chief data and analytics officer, and Emanuel Thomas, administrative assistant. Gruenig and Thomas will start Aug. 10.
Gwendolyn Gruenig, chief data and analytics officer
Gwendolyn Gruenig joins the University of Alaska Foundation as the chief data and analytics officer. In this role, she leads the UA Foundation's enterprise data, analytics and advancement information services functions. Serving as a key member of the UA Foundation's senior leadership team, Gruenig's responsibilities include shaping how data and analytics support fundraising success, donor engagement and institutional impact across the UA system.
A lifelong Alaskan and 花椒直播alumna, Gruenig brings more than two decades of leadership in data strategy, analytics and institutional research to the UA Foundation. She most recently served as director of data analysis and institutional research for the University of Alaska system, where she led statewide data strategy, governance, analytics, policy analysis and reporting in support of the Board of Regents, system leadership and Alaska's students.
She is a former 花椒直播adjunct faculty member in the statistics department, and previously owned a private data science consulting practice serving researchers, businesses and nonprofits across Alaska. Gruenig holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in psychology and statistics.
Emanuel Thomas, administrative assistant
Emanuel Thomas joins the University of Alaska Foundation as an administrative assistant. In this role, he will coordinate executive meetings and organizational initiatives, support senior leadership and staff across the UA Foundation, and help ensure the smooth day-to-day operations that advance philanthropy for the University of Alaska system and its students.
Thomas comes to the UA Foundation from the Alaska Military Youth Academy, a 22-week voluntary, tuition-free residential program that helps at-risk youth ages 16-18 develop the skills and confidence to succeed academically, professionally and personally.
Thomas served 10 years in the U.S. Coast Guard as a yeoman, where he supported military leadership through personnel administration, executive coordination and problem-solving. His experience managing complex administrative operations and serving diverse stakeholders prepared him well for this role at the UA Foundation.