We announced a symbolic new initiative honoring our graduating active duty military and veteran students. Red, white and blue honor cords will be made available to any graduating active duty, guard/reserve or veteran student interested in wearing one during commencement. These cords signify the appreciation that UAA feels toward our military and veteran community for their service and sacrifice.
Faculty Notes
- UAA Professor Paul Johnson is the new University of Alaska Harold T. Caven Professor of Business.
- Drs. Lil Alessa and Andrew Klisky received two grants from the National Science Foundation: a prestigious Dynamics of Coupled Natural Systems award for $1.5M and a national workshop award for defining the social science priorities in sustainability research.
Sunny Mall, assistant professor of secondary education in the College of Education, is the recipient of a Alaska Journal of Commerce’s 2012 ‘Top Forty Under 40′ award.
- Assistant Professor of Political Science Dalee Dorough was appointed chair of the Alaska Advisory Committee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
- April Counceller, assistant professor of Alutiiq language and culture at Kodiak College was recently elected to the Alaska Anthropological Association Board of Directors.
- Dr. Gabriel Garcia, assistant professor of public health, was awarded by the Alaska Public Health Association the Barbara Berger “Excellence in Public Health Award.” Scott Goldsmith received an Alaska Meritorious Health Service Award.
Staff Notes
Photo: Thank you to our outstanding Facilities team. All year long they keep our campus up and operating, keeping us safe and able to do our jobs. This year, with record snow fall of well over 100 inches, the team is working harder than ever—logging over 3,000 man and equipment hours. We appreciate all that you are doing!
Phillip Miller, KPC construction project manager has become one of just 49 people in the world and only the second in Alaska to earn the Educational Facilities Professional Certification Credential. UAA’s Chris Turletes also earned the credential.
Honors Note
The recently established Gamma Iota Chapter of the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health announced its first honorary and alumni inductees. Honorary inductees are:
Dr. Larry Weiss, professor emeritus and founding director, Alaska Center for Public Policy; Dr. Linda Chamberlain, director, Alaska Family Violence Prevention Project and Dr. Tom Hennessy, director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Arctic Investigations Program. UAA MPH alums inducted are: Kathy Allely (’08), Kathy Anderson (’09), Vanessa Hiratsuka (’07), Kerry Pride (’09) and Tammy Zulz (’07).
Grants and Research Award Notes
The Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies received $375K through the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority to evaluate the impact of Alaska Housing First programs in relation to alcohol dependence, overall health and cost effectiveness.
The Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault awarded the UAA Justice Center $350K in grant funding to continue measuring violence against women in Alaska in the Alaska Victimization Survey. The center also received a grant from the Tundra Women’s Coalition to evaluate the Teens Acting Against Violence program.
Development Notes
BP donated $1M to UAA’s School of Engineering for an Asset Integrity and Corrosion Lab, the first in the state.
- Icicle Seafoods, Inc. contributed $300K to benefit various programs within University of Alaska system focusing on fishing industry and seafood market research and career development. These gifts bring Icicle Seafoods’ accumulative donations to over $1M.
- Chugach Alaska Corporation donated $100K to support Excellence in Alaska Native Business and Public Policy.
Public Square Notes
Photo: Anchorage middle school students participate in a waste audit at UAA as part of the UAA TRiO Programs’ celebration of the national day of service. Dr. Joe Martin, keynote speaker, told students who will be the first in their family to go to college, that “it doesn’t matter where you start in life, it’s where you finish.” He added, “Your decision to go to college is not about you. It’s about the people who follow you. Your decision impacts future generations.”
Kenai Peninsula College’s Kenai River Campus hosted its 22nd annual career exploration event that is aimed at Kenai Peninsula high school students, college students and members of the public. More than 90 professionals representing 60 career fields presented occupational and education information to more than 230 attendees from around the Central Peninsula.
Mat-Su College’s Alaska Civil Rights Day celebration drew 51 attendees including representatives from Senator Lisa Murkowski’s office, Knik Tribal Council and Southcentral Foundation. Director Talis Colberg delivered the keynote address to the standing-room-only audience.
Safety Note
UAA reported a total of 24 recordable injuries during 2011, including eight back injuries, six slip and fall, four other strain, three struck by object, two vehicle and one laceration. We are continuing to improve safety at UAA through messaging, training and safety leadership training and assessment for faculty and staff March 1 and 2.
Safety Tip: Most injuries involve a slip, trip or fall, or a strain, sprain or back injury. We live in a challenging environment. Wear your Spikies and take your time when walking around campus. Injuries occur when one rushes. If you need more help or specialized equipment, ask your supervisor.
Note of Welcome
Please join me in welcoming to our Anchorage campus the Alaska Native American Business Enterprise Center (AK NABEC). AK NABEC, funded by the Minority Business Development Agency and partners with the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, is working with the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development and officially opened this month. We look forward to the increased opportunity for UAA faculty, students, programs and research to better serve the economic development of our state.
Be safe and enjoy all that UAA has to offer!
Caitlin Cheely, a Russian language major and a Forty-Ninth State Fellow in the Honors College, and William Giedosh, a major in the International Studies Russia Track, have been awarded the highly competitive Department of State 2012 Critical Languages Scholarship in Russian. In addition, language student Ben Woodland—German and international studies major, history minor—won UAA’s first Critical Languages Scholarship in Turkish.
UAA students recently discussed scholarship programs such as the Alaska Performance Scholarship and the need to increase funding for needs-based scholarships such as the AlaskaAdvantage grant program in a meeting with Alaska State Senator Bettye Davis.
Men’s basketball player Taylor Rohde has been selected the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s (GNAC) 2011-12 Player of the Year and also repeated as an All-GNAC First Team honoree. Congratulations!