Dear Friends and Colleagues,

More than 700 people came to help celebrate the grand opening of the new ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building. Thanks to a diligent planning committee and dedicated volunteers, our community saw how UAA is taking science education and research to a new level. From science demonstrations to videos to a wonderful planetarium show, community members experienced a side of UAA that many have never before seen. The opening gave us a great opportunity to show the important work that faculty, students and staff are doing at UAA -- work that is the basis of Alaska's future progress.

A terrific tie-in to the opening of CPISB and a wonderful theatre experience, "Terra Nova" played on UAA's mainstage this month. I hope you had a chance to catch this great show.

Listen to the "Terra Nova: a conversation with director Tom Skore" podcast here.

Earlier this month I traveled to Fairbanks and joined UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers and UAS Chancellor John Pugh at a meeting of the Alaska State Legislature's Senate Finance Committee. This working session gave us an opportunity to talk with legislators about what we are accomplishing at the University of Alaska.

We kicked off Alaska Native/Native American Heritage Month with dancing, a Native dress review and lots of delicious Native foods. I hope that you will take time to go to some of the wonderful events planned for throughout November including films, food, dancing, lectures, brown bag lunches and many more opportunities to "Share the Spirit."

Did you know?

• In support of UAA's commitment to sustainability, paper versions of the fall and spring class schedules will no longer be printed after the spring 2010 semester.
  
  
• By not printing class schedule books, UAA will reduce its consumption of printed-paper by 3,000,000 sheets a year and save 38 trees.
  
  
• AKSourceLink won the Excellence in Partnership Development award at the University Economic Development Association Summit in San Antonio, Texas. AKSourceLink links Alaska small businesses to programs and information that will help them succeed.
  
  
• Natalie Hale, a first-year student in the Alaska WWAMI Biomedical program, represented Alaska as part of a Doctors for America meeting at the White House and also meeting with Kathleen Sibelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, to support health care reform based on affordable coverage, expanded access to care, high quality care, and practice environments that allow physicians focus on patient care. Thank you Natalie for your commitment to advocating on behalf of doctors and their patients!
  
  
• This month we inducted 57 new members into UAA's most prestigious university-wide academic honor society: Phi Kappa Phi. Those inducted include 32 last term juniors and seniors who have a GPA of 3.8 or above. In addition 25 graduate students with 18 or more credits and a GPA of 3.9 were inducted. Congratulations to you all.

In Seawolf Athletics kudos to:

• UAA Women's Volleyball team moved up two spots to No. 5 in the latest NCAA Div. II West Region rankings, released October 28.
  
  
• UAA's junior Marko Cheseto repeated as the GNAC's male individual winner, at the ninth annual Great Northwest Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships. Cheseto is the first male to win two GNAC individual titles.
  
  
• Women's Cross Country team is No. 5 in the U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association poll for the fifth straight week. The team won UAA's first-ever women's conference team title at the GNAC Championships.
  
  
• The league's preseason coaches' poll picked UAA Womens' Basketball to repeat their GNAC victory this year.

Go Seawolves!

As always thank you for all you do for UAA!

Sincerely,

2009 UAA Alaska Native/Native American Heritage Month offers events all through November

UAA School of Engineering Community and Alumni Celebration

Thursday, Nov. 5, 6-8 p.m.
UAA/APU Consortium Library, Third Floor

Changing Your Point of View: Exploring Reality with Digital Tools

Friday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m.
UAA Fine Arts Building, Room 150

UAA Dept. of Theatre and Dance plans auditions for 'Wonder of the World' on Nov. 7

Saturday, Nov. 7, 4-6 p.m.
Fine Arts Building, Room 220

'Notes from a Literary Journalist: The Importance of Passion, Persistence and Paying Attention'

Monday, Nov. 9, 5-7 p.m.
UAA Campus Bookstore

Don Decker Disclosures: Arctic Surfaces and Undercurrents, Part II: The DrawingsD

Opening Reception
Monday, Nov. 9, 5:30-7 p.m.
Show Dates
Nov. 9-Dec. 4, Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
UAA Fine Arts Building, Kimura Gallery

"How Life in the Arctic is Depicted"

Tuesday, Nov. 10, 5-7 p.m.
UAA Campus Bookstore

'Tale of Genji' illustrations on exhibit at arc gallery

Through Monday, Jan. 4, 2010
Opening Reception
Friday, Nov. 6, 5:15-6:30 p.m.
UAA/APU Consortium Library, arc gallery

No Big Heads Self Portrait exhibit open through Nov. 12

Exhibit Dates and Times
Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Student Union Art Gallery

UAA Dance Ensemble offers work by artistic director Brian Jeffery, choreographer Leslie Kimiko and three solo works beginning Nov. 5

Thursday, Nov. 5-Sunday, Nov. 15
Thursdays, Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Sundays at 6 p.m.
UAA Fine Arts Building, Harper Studio Theatre

University Wind Ensemble presents "Suite Francaise" in Fall '09 tour

Nov. 6-18
Various locations

Lecture with renowned Alaska author Seth Kantner

Thursday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.
Fine Arts Building, Room 150

UAA Opera Ensemble gets its Broadway on with an 'Eclectic Cabaret' on Nov. 14

Saturday, Nov. 14, 1-3 p.m.
Student Union Den

Dahr Jamail presents 'The Will to Resist: Soldiers Who Refuse to Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan'

Monday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Social Sciences Building, Room 118

Poet Joan Kane presents her new book of poetry, The Cormorant Hunter's Wife

Tuesday, Nov. 17, 6-8 p.m.
UAA Campus Bookstore

Allison Warden presents 'Ode to the Polar Bear'

Wednesday, Nov. 18, 12-2 p.m.
UAA Campus Bookstore

Let your voice be heard on the Northern Access to U-Med District project

Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009
UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307
Open House: 1-6 p.m.
Presentations: 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Christmas Belles

Friday, Nov. 20-Sunday, Dec. 6
Friday, Saturday 8 p.m.; Sunday 3 p.m.
UAA Mainstage Theatre, Fine Arts Building

The staff of the UAA Confucius Institute (UAA CI) was part of a delegation of UAA officials traveling in China Oct. 14-22. The delegation included Provost Michael Driscoll, Director of International Affairs Ted Kassier, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences James Liszka, UAA CI Director Paul Dunscomb and UAA CI Associate Director GuoFeng Pu Fricke.

The delegation went to attend an American Association of State Colleges and Universities meeting, which allowed them to participate in a student recruiting fair and to learn more about partnering with China's higher educational institutions.

The trip had several other objectives: participate at the Conference for Chinese International Education and Exchange in Beijing, discuss possible future exchange and other activities with Renmin University of China (RUC) and Beijing University of Language and Culture, visit the Confucius Institute Headquarters at Hanban, and travel to Changchun to visit the campuses of Northeast Normal University (NENU), UAA CI’s academic partner. Overall, the delegates visit will help to further the internationalization of UAA.

During this trip the delegation discussed many things including UAA's progress with our new Confucius Institute and prospects for faculty and student exchanges. Two immediate priorities for UAA CI are to organize a scholarly symposium on biological and environmental issues in Anchorage this spring, and for UAA to host a meeting of the directors and staffs of the CI's in South Korea and Valencia, Spain (and perhaps a new one in Canada, too) which are all partnered with NENU.

The University of Alaska Anchorage Master of Public Health (MPH) program recently earned initial accreditation as a graduate program by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The MPH program received the maximum term for initial accreditation, which is five years, making it nationally accredited through Dec. 31, 2014, with requirements for interim reports in 2010 and 2011.

The MPH program enhances health in diverse communities across Alaska, the circumpolar north, the nation and the world. This is accomplished through excellence in the education of public health practice leaders, scientific investigation of public health issues, and engaging communities in an organized effort to identify, assess, prevent and mitigate community health challenges.