Forrest Karr returns to the Nanooks for his fifth year after graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School in May of 2004. He began leading the department in July, 2005, after serving as Assistant AD for Compliance for one year. During Karr's three years as athletic director, the Nanooks have crowned four NCAA champions, including three consecutive national titles for the school's rifle team and an individual title for skier Marius Korthauer at the 2008 NCAA Skiing Championships. Karr teaches BA 294 -Sports Management in the spring and BA 467-Legal Issues in Sport and Recreation Management in the fall. He calls teaching, "the absolute best part of each week." Karr also serves on NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee.

Over the past three years Karr has guided the implementation and growth of the women's swimming program. Karr also oversaw the renovation of the E.F. Horton Range and worked together with the Fairbanks North Star Borough to secure a four-sided center-hung scoreboard at the Carlson Center. Under his leadership, the department hosted the 2007 NCAA Rifle Championships, which set an NCAA attendance record.

Karr was the recipient of 2006 "Chancellor's Supervisory Award," presented to a supervisory staff member for excellence and contributions to UAF. He is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the NCAA Division II Athletics Directors Association, which awarded him the 2007 Borden Perlman Professional Development Grant.

Recently appointed to the Statewide Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska, Karr has served as a community-based mentor with the BBBS organization since March 2006. He is also a volunteer member of the National Ski Patrol and was named 2006-07 Outstanding Rookie Patroller for the State of Alaska Division. Karr also serves on the board of the Fairbanks Sunrisers Rotary Club and performs numerous speaking engagements each year within the greater Fairbanks community.

Karr's previous work experience includes clerking for a private law firm, Garvey & Stoddard, S.C., in addition to serving in the General Counsel's office at the NCAA. While working for the NCAA, Karr focused on drug-testing protocol revisions, trademark infringements and worked with outside counsel defending NCAA bylaws concerning academic requirements for incoming freshmen.

Prior to attending law school, Karr was a student-athlete (ice hockey) from 1996-99 at the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor's of Business Administration in Finance and Business Economics.

A four year letter-winner as goaltender for the Fighting Irish Ice Hockey Team, Karr earned most valuable player honors his senior season. In recognition for his excellence in the classroom, Karr was named to the All-Academic Team for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) and the NCAA Academic All-American Second-Team. After his collegiate career Karr played one year of professional hockey in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and then coached for one year with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Karr is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He has twice completed the Chicago Marathon, once the Big Sur Marathon and twice Fairbanks' own Equinox Marathon. In the spring of 2000, he bicycled from Juarez, Mexico to Alberta, Canada.

Karr's hobbies include hiking, mountaineering and all types of skiing.