Accolades - University of Alaska Anchorage
Accolades - University of Alaska Anchorage
Accolades - University of Alaska Anchorage
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accolades<br />
SPRING/SUMMER 2008<br />
A PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS<br />
SC RE!<br />
UAA Seawolves are the<br />
BEST in the WEST
FROM THE EDITOR<br />
CONTENTS<br />
Seawolf Sports................2<br />
Dear Friends:<br />
I'm pleased to present the Spring/Summer 2008 issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>Accolades</strong>, a<br />
biannual magazine published by UAA's Office <strong>of</strong> Advancement. This<br />
issue is packed with incredible stories <strong>of</strong> donors, students, alumni, faculty<br />
and programs. As an alum myself, I'm particularly proud to feature<br />
our NCAA Div. II Western Region men's and women's basketball champions<br />
on the cover <strong>of</strong> this issue. It's been heartwarming to see the<br />
state <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> rally behind its 2008 home team, its home town<br />
<strong>University</strong>.<br />
There are many talented people that helped to create <strong>Accolades</strong>. This<br />
issue features pieces by staff writers Jessica Hamlin, Peter Porco and<br />
Ann Marie Wawersik. We are lucky to include two student contributors<br />
in this issue too: Morgan Sneed and Jennifer McMullen. Other<br />
Advancement team members that served as story advisors included<br />
Beth Rose, Ivy Spohnholz, Julia Martinez and Stacey Marsh. I am<br />
incredibly grateful to work with such a fantastic team <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionals.<br />
2<br />
12<br />
6<br />
Basketball Teams<br />
New Sports Center<br />
UAA Debate Team<br />
Speaks Up........................6<br />
Celebrating the Arts<br />
& Humanities.................12<br />
Visual Arts and Music<br />
Theatre and Dance<br />
Creative Writing and<br />
Literary Arts<br />
<strong>Alaska</strong> Quarterly Review<br />
The Humanities<br />
Community Campuses<br />
Scholarly Research<br />
Faculty <strong>Accolades</strong>........22<br />
As you read through the stories <strong>of</strong> this issue, I hope you feel inspired.<br />
Each piece, whether it be about the new low-residency MFA program,<br />
the Seawolf Debate Team, the basketball champions or a featured alum,<br />
is a testimony <strong>of</strong> the great things happening at UAA. If you haven't<br />
been on campus in awhile, I invite you to stop by and experience the<br />
incredible energy <strong>of</strong> success and discovery. It is indeed great to be a<br />
23<br />
Spotlight on Alumni......23<br />
Alum Tracks<br />
Generous Donor............30<br />
Sonja Sheffert<br />
Seawolf!<br />
Best,<br />
Kristin DeSmith<br />
Editor<br />
UAA <strong>Accolades</strong><br />
Spring/Summer 2008<br />
Volume 7, Number 1<br />
Published by UAA <strong>University</strong> Advancement<br />
Editor: Kristin DeSmith<br />
Contributors: Jessica Hamlin, Peter Porco, Ann Marie Wawersik<br />
Graphic Design: David Freeman<br />
All photos by Michael Dinneen and Clark James Mishler<br />
unless otherwise noted<br />
For more information about stories included in UAA <strong>Accolades</strong>,<br />
to make a gift to UAA or to order additional copies, please contact:<br />
<strong>University</strong> Advancement<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong><br />
3211 Providence Drive . <strong>Anchorage</strong>, AK 99508<br />
Phone: (907) 786-4847<br />
Toll free: 1-877-482-2232<br />
e-mail: development@uaa.alaska.edu<br />
To learn more about UAA, visit www.uaa.alaska.edu.
FROM THE CHANCELLOR<br />
Dear UAA Alumni, Friends and Family,<br />
This Spring/Summer edition <strong>of</strong> <strong>Accolades</strong> will provide a small glimpse <strong>of</strong> the many wonderful<br />
programs and events at UAA. I think you’ll agree that it’s quite impressive.<br />
The issue kicks <strong>of</strong>f with a tribute to our history-making year in the Athletic Department. Not only did<br />
both UAA men’s and women’s basketball teams reach the NCAA Division II semifinals, but our Track<br />
& Field team set nine school records in their opening meet in Las Vegas and our Ski Team finished<br />
8th in the United States. It’s been quite a year. All <strong>of</strong> these successes make<br />
it more apparent than ever that we need to build a new sports facility to<br />
replace our 30-year-old Wells Fargo Sports Complex. We’re working<br />
on it!<br />
Success at UAA isn’t limited to our Athletic Department. Read in these<br />
pages about our remarkable Debate Team. Through the years UAA debate<br />
teams have earned regional, national and international recognition. At the<br />
2007 World Universities Debating Championship, the UAA team reached the<br />
semifinal round beating teams from Stanford, Yale, Cambridge and Oxford.<br />
Their performance made them the top debate team in North America and<br />
put them in the top two percent <strong>of</strong> teams in the world. An amazing achievement.<br />
Our Music Department, Art Department, and Department <strong>of</strong> Theatre and<br />
Dance are celebrating their own successes, many <strong>of</strong> which involve<br />
collaboration and interaction with our community. Jazz Week, Symphony <strong>of</strong><br />
Sounds, gallery shows, dance performances, operas and a season <strong>of</strong> full-length plays make UAA a<br />
vital part <strong>of</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong>’s arts community.<br />
We cannot accomplish all <strong>of</strong> this without your support. I was particularly moved by Erica Cline<br />
Blackledge’s story <strong>of</strong> friendship and loss that led to the creation <strong>of</strong> the Quianna Clay Debate<br />
Scholarship. I think you, too, will be inspired by this story.<br />
From athletic events to theatre performances, UAA is a place that continues to provide experiences<br />
that feed our spirit, inform our minds, and expand our horizons. Thank you to our students, staff,<br />
faculty, friends, alumni and supporters for creating a vibrant UAA!<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Fran Ulmer<br />
Chancellor<br />
accolades 1
The BEST in the WEST<br />
This year UAA enjoyed the greatest single season <strong>of</strong> basketball in the<br />
school’s history. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams each<br />
had record-breaking success, and together the Seawolves had an<br />
astounding 59-11 combined record for the 2007-08 season.<br />
The men’s team won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference<br />
(GNAC) and the West Regional titles, while the women’s team finished<br />
2nd in GNAC play and went on to win the West Regional championship<br />
as well with their surprising upset to the No. 2 team in the nation, who<br />
had previously been undefeated.<br />
Both teams went on to the “Elite Eight” NCAA Division II quarterfinals<br />
with the men traveling to Springfield, Massachusetts and the<br />
women to Kearney, Nebraska. For only the second time in the history<br />
<strong>of</strong> the NCAA Division II basketball play<strong>of</strong>fs, both the men’s and<br />
women’s teams from the same school won their quarterfinal games<br />
and moved into the national “Final Four.”<br />
UAA is especially proud <strong>of</strong> all its fine student-athletes. Both teams<br />
were nationally ranked throughout the year, with both teams finishing<br />
No. 4 in their respective final polls. The Seawolves were also awarded<br />
the men’s and women’s GNAC Players <strong>of</strong> the Year as well as the men’s<br />
Coach <strong>of</strong> the Year.<br />
2 accolades
SEAWOLF SPORTS<br />
WOMEN<br />
No. Name Position Ht. Yr. Hometown (Previous School)<br />
2 Jennifer Salazar G/F 5-9 Sr. Houston, Texas (South Houston HS/Garden City [Kan.] CC)<br />
3 Elisha Harris G 5-7 Jr. West Jordan, Utah (West Jordan HS/Coll. <strong>of</strong> Eastern Utah)<br />
4 Kalhie Quinones G 5-7 Sr. Loveland, Colo. (Thompson Valley HS/Otero JC/Utah State)<br />
5 Limor Pelleg G 5-5 Jr. Rishon LeZion, Israel (Gymnasia Realit/Israeli U-21 National Team)<br />
11 Erin Cunningham G 5-6 Sr. Yuba City, Calif. (Marysville HS/Yuba CC)<br />
13 Dasha Basova F/C 6-3 Jr. Moscow, Russia (Northeastern [Colo.] JC)<br />
15 Ruby Williams F 5-10 Jr. Phoenix, Ariz. (Maryvale HS/Central Arizona Coll.)<br />
20 Ashley Thompson F 5-10 Jr. McCammon, Idaho (Marsh Valley HS/Coll. <strong>of</strong> Southern Idaho)<br />
21 Maria Nilsson G/F 6-0 Sr. Skovde, Sweden (Sanda HS/Northeast Nebraska CC)<br />
24 Danielle Dekel G 5-10 Jr. Kibbutz Ein Shemer, Israel (Ribet (Calif.) Academy/Central Arizona Coll.)<br />
25 Nikki Aden G/F 5-8 Fr. Portland, Ore. (West Linn HS)<br />
30 Lillie Parks F 5-11 Jr. Rialto, Calif. (Eisenhower HS/Chaffey College)<br />
33 Krista Leman G 5-6 Fr. Ninilchik (Ninilchik HS)<br />
41 Jess Merkley F/C 6-1 Fr. <strong>Anchorage</strong> (South <strong>Anchorage</strong> HS)<br />
54 Rebecca Kielpinski C 6-2 Jr. Mandan, N.D. (Mandan HS)<br />
RS Denise Benavides G 5-3 Fr. Houston, Texas (Alief Hastings HS)<br />
Brad Norton<br />
Brad Norton<br />
Richard Orr<br />
MEN<br />
No. Name Position Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (Previous School)<br />
1 Kevin White G 6-4 195 Fr. Manly, Australia (Scots College/San Diego Christian)<br />
2 Chris Bryant G 6-4 200 Sr. Metlakatla (Metlakatla HS/Drake)<br />
3 Lonnie Ridgeway G 6-3 195 Fr. <strong>Anchorage</strong> (Heritage Christian)<br />
11 Doug Hardy G 5-11 185 Jr. <strong>Anchorage</strong> (Bartlett HS/Idaho State)<br />
14 Luke Cooper G 6-0 165 Sr. Melbourne, Australia (Parade College/Eltham Wildcats)<br />
21 Cameron Burney F 6-7 185 Jr. Steamboat Springs, Colo. (Steamboat Springs HS/Otero JC)<br />
22 Phillip Hearn G/F 6-6 200 Fr. <strong>Anchorage</strong> (West HS)<br />
23 McCade Olsen F 6-8 215 Sr. Riverton, Utah (Riverton HS/Eastern Wyoming CC)<br />
25 Jeremiah Trueman F 6-9 210 Jr. Stratford, New Zealand (Nelson College/San Diego Christian)<br />
30 Kyle Doerr F 6-7 205 Fr. Rapid City, S.D. (St. Thomas More HS)<br />
32 Colin Voreis F 6-7 230 Fr. Vermilion, Ohio (Vermilion HS)<br />
34 Carl Arts F 6-6 210 Sr. Valdez (Valdez HS)<br />
45 Jared Kettler C 6-6 220 Sr. Dana Point, Calif. (St. Margaret's Sch.)<br />
RS Kenny Barker G 6-3 210 Sr. San Diego, Calif. (Clairemont HS/UAF)<br />
accolades 3
SEAWOLF SPORTS<br />
S<br />
ince the Wells Fargo Sports Complex (WFSC) was built in 1978, it<br />
has served as the home base for a great number <strong>of</strong> athletic<br />
achievements for the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong>. The original building<br />
was designed for recreational use by non-traditional commuter<br />
students and housed only three competitive sports: basketball, riflery<br />
and skiing.<br />
In 1979, the UAA women’s ski team won the Association for<br />
Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national championship and<br />
skier Britta Kjellstrand became the first UAA national champ in any sport.<br />
The ice rink was installed in 1980 and within four years the UAA<br />
hockey team gained NCAA Division I status. In 1989 the hockey team<br />
won the NYE Frontier Classic, now called the Kendall Hockey Classic, for<br />
the first time, and has enjoyed four more championships since then. To<br />
accommodate the large and loyal fan base, UAA hockey has been playing<br />
games at the Sullivan Arena since 1982.<br />
This last year the Carrs/Safeway Great <strong>Alaska</strong> Shootout celebrated<br />
its 30th Anniversary. The beloved event was held its first five years at<br />
the Buckner Fieldhouse on Fort Richardson, but quickly outgrew that<br />
facility and has enjoyed great success at the Sullivan Arena, being televised<br />
nationally by ESPN since 1986. Still, the Seawolves’ basketball<br />
teams have enjoyed winning over 80 percent <strong>of</strong> their home games at the<br />
Wells Fargo Sports Complex which seats 1,100.<br />
In 2001, UAA joined the newly formed Great Northwest Athletic<br />
Conference (GNAC) and has been leaving a strong Seawolf mark. The<br />
cross country and track and field programs have racked up a long list <strong>of</strong><br />
competitive accolades including nine individual conference champions.<br />
Our running athletes now use the state-<strong>of</strong>-the art, indoor complex the<br />
SportsDome at Changepoint to train year-round.<br />
Then, on March 8, 2008 the Seawolves had a landmark day. The<br />
track and field teams set nine school records in their opening meet in Las<br />
Vegas. The ski team finished 8th in the USA. The women's basketball<br />
team defeated Billings and set a new school record for wins in a season.<br />
And the men's basketball team defeated Western Oregon by 30 points,<br />
claimed the GNAC title and set a new record for wins in a season. It<br />
was truly a historical day for all the coaches and student athletes.<br />
Three decades after opening the Wells Fargo<br />
Sports Complex, UAA now serves more than<br />
15,000 students and student athletes participate in<br />
11 different competitive sports. Each year the<br />
UAA athlete and fan participation grows, almost as<br />
fast as the list <strong>of</strong> winning accolades.<br />
However, UAA’s current sports facilities are<br />
considered the least adequate compared to other<br />
universities competing in our conference. We have<br />
less than half the available recreation space<br />
(85,000 square feet compared to 215,000 square<br />
feet) considered appropriate for our school<br />
body size.<br />
A new UAA sports complex has been proposed<br />
that would serve as a facility for student athletes,<br />
physical education majors, student recreation,<br />
community health and recreation and as an<br />
additional venue for public events.<br />
UAA Chancellor Fran Ulmer is working with a<br />
dedicated team to develop the best plan for this<br />
new, multi-use sports arena. The planning team is<br />
led by Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services, Bill Spindle, and Vice<br />
Chancellor for Advancement, Megan Olson.<br />
"We will involve the UAA family, our neighbors and the <strong>Anchorage</strong><br />
community in this process,” said Chancellor Ulmer. “Construction <strong>of</strong> a<br />
sports complex to meet the needs <strong>of</strong> both our students and the<br />
Municipality is an important step in strengthening community partnerships<br />
and developing the <strong>Anchorage</strong> campus.”<br />
After Gov. Sarah Palin vetoed the $1 million in planning money last<br />
year, the team reached out to hundreds <strong>of</strong> university and community<br />
members to get their feedback on building a new sports facility on UAA’s<br />
campus. The research found that public support<br />
<strong>of</strong> UAA sports was incredibly strong. Construction <strong>of</strong> a sports complex to<br />
Eighty-four percent <strong>of</strong> people surveyed<br />
believe a new facility would improve UAA meet the needs <strong>of</strong> both our students<br />
programs and 83 percent believe a new<br />
and the Municipality is an important<br />
facility would make UAA more attractive to<br />
perspective students. After hearing feedback<br />
on both sides <strong>of</strong> this issue, UAA <strong>of</strong>fi-<br />
step in strengthening community<br />
cials have developed a two-phase plan to partnerships and developing the<br />
turn this project into a reality.<br />
<strong>Anchorage</strong> campus.<br />
Phase 1 <strong>of</strong> this plan includes building a<br />
sports facility on UAA-owned land north <strong>of</strong><br />
student housing on the corner <strong>of</strong> Providence – UAA Chancellor Fran Ulmer<br />
Drive and Elmore Road. This new sports<br />
facility would not be a mega-facility as originally<br />
envisioned, but rather a 13,000 square foot facility designed to<br />
accommodate 10 <strong>of</strong> the 11 intercollegiate sports. This new proposed<br />
location would also provide on-campus students easy access to the<br />
facility.<br />
Phase 2 <strong>of</strong> the plan includes building a separate 7,500-seat hockey<br />
arena that would be developed in partnership with the Municipality <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Anchorage</strong>. Location for this facility is still under consideration.<br />
As UAA moves forward with Phase 1, we continue to welcome feedback.<br />
Several preliminary sports complex and arena concepts are available for<br />
viewing and comment at GoSeawolves.com.<br />
Seawolves Outgrow Their Den<br />
accolades 5
UAA Debate Team coaches Steve Johnson<br />
and Shawn Briscoe stand at the center <strong>of</strong><br />
the award-winning team.
UAA<br />
Debate Team<br />
SPEAKS<br />
UPDebate<br />
traces its roots<br />
back to ancient Athens,<br />
where citizens gathered in forums to discuss<br />
and debate the most pressing issues <strong>of</strong> the day.<br />
Even today, debate is part <strong>of</strong> our every day life.<br />
Debates are prevalent in political elections, on<br />
high school and college campuses worldwide,<br />
and in every day conversations with friends and<br />
business colleagues.<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong> Seawolf Debate Team was founded in 1982 as part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Anchorage</strong> Community College by pr<strong>of</strong>essor Dr. Doug Parry. Starting on a shoestring, the team<br />
would hold regular practices, but when they wanted to compete in tournaments out <strong>of</strong> state<br />
they would have to go hat-in-hand to local businesses for money. Some years they would compete<br />
in four or five tournaments, and others only one or two, depending on the economy and<br />
continued next page<br />
accolades 7
UAA DEBATE TEAM<br />
Michaela Hernandez proves<br />
her point during a public<br />
debate. At right, Nick Byrne<br />
argues his point.<br />
how much money they could muster. The team had a very successful<br />
start, and within a few years they were the dominant community college<br />
debate program in the region.<br />
In 1989, Arliss Sturgulewski, who is a great friend <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong>,<br />
cooperated with Dr. Parry and other friends <strong>of</strong> the debate program to<br />
include it in the state budget to fund the team for the very first time.<br />
Since then, the <strong>University</strong> has funded the Seawolf Debate Team.<br />
The Seawolf Debate Team is the only intercollegiate forensics program<br />
in <strong>Alaska</strong>. It represents UAA, the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> system, and<br />
the State <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> in competitive speech and debate activities against<br />
students from around the world. UAA debaters compete against some <strong>of</strong><br />
the most prestigious schools in the world, including the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Cambridge, Yale <strong>University</strong>, the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Oxford, Stanford <strong>University</strong><br />
and many others. Director Steve Johnson came onboard with the<br />
program in 1995 and has led the team to success on numerous<br />
occasions. Coach Shawn Briscoe joined the winning team in 2007.<br />
At the beginning <strong>of</strong> a semester, the Seawolf Debate Team starts with<br />
between 25 and 35 people. To qualify for a slot on the traveling team,<br />
students commit a great deal <strong>of</strong> time and energy to prepare and practice;<br />
not unlike a competitive sports team, the pursuit <strong>of</strong> excellence in competitive<br />
debating is a significant undertaking. Typically there are<br />
between 12 and 16 debaters that are qualified to be on the traveling<br />
squad, and <strong>of</strong> that squad anywhere between six and 10 debaters travel<br />
to any given tournament.<br />
“Most debaters have some common personality traits,” said Steve<br />
Johnson. “They’re gregarious, social and are very aware <strong>of</strong> regional,<br />
national and international events and politics. They’re genuinely interested<br />
in how those events relate to them. Debaters tend to be somewhat<br />
egocentric – you have to be to be a good debater. To represent<br />
your arguments with confidence in a way that will be compelling<br />
requires that you believe in what you’re saying. And to believe in what<br />
you’re saying, you have to believe in yourself.”<br />
Johnson works hard to identify a debater’s strengths and weaknesses,<br />
and puts a lot <strong>of</strong> effort into making sure they reach their full potential<br />
as a debater. “That’s what really fascinates me as a coach,” Johnson<br />
said. “What is going to make this debater the best they can possibly be?<br />
Do they need to be challenged more? Rewarded more? How you put the<br />
pieces together in any one individual takes a lot <strong>of</strong> thought and hard<br />
work.”<br />
What is Debate?<br />
The simplest description <strong>of</strong> a debate is that a resolution is proposed and<br />
different groups <strong>of</strong> people argue different sides <strong>of</strong> that motion. Debate<br />
is an essential tool that hones communication, analytical and research<br />
skills while deepening knowledge on specific topics in politics, history,<br />
economics, law and philosophy for developing and maintaining democracy<br />
and open societies.<br />
“The best analogy to make is to ice skating,” said Johnson. “There<br />
are a variety <strong>of</strong> different sports that stem from ice skating, from hockey<br />
to pairs dancing, to singles performance, but they all use ice skating as<br />
the medium. Academic debating is the same way.”<br />
Collegiate debate formats practiced in the U.S. include parliamentary,<br />
Model Congress, Model UN, mock trial events – all <strong>of</strong> these are<br />
8 accolades
competitive debating in different forms. The Seawolf Debate Team practices<br />
the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC) format,<br />
also called the international format. This is the most widely practiced<br />
collegiate debating format in the world.<br />
What separates the international style <strong>of</strong> debate from others is that<br />
it’s considered extemporaneous, meaning debaters don’t know what the<br />
motion is until 15 minutes before the debate begins. “We have a rough<br />
idea <strong>of</strong> what the topic will be,” said Johnson. “We do our best to prepare<br />
by researching what’s going on in the world. We put together a<br />
book <strong>of</strong> our research that comes with us to our competitions.”<br />
The WUDC format has four teams <strong>of</strong> two people each in a round.<br />
Two teams argue on the pro side, and two argue on the con side.<br />
However, all teams are competing against each other, so the teams<br />
strive to be more convincing than the others. This adds a whole dimension<br />
<strong>of</strong> strategy to the debate. “You get eight very different perspectives,”<br />
said Johnson. “It makes things very interesting, especially when<br />
there are creative, intelligent and engaged people participating.”<br />
“I love so many aspects <strong>of</strong> debate that it is hard to pick one,” said<br />
Severin Randall, a member <strong>of</strong> the Seawolf Debate Team. “I am passionate<br />
about argumentation. It sounds geeky, but how to analyze and structure<br />
arguments fascinates me. I also love following current economic<br />
and political events all over the world. I am not sure where else I could<br />
find other people willing to talk about the recent elections in Serbia or<br />
terrorist groups in Nigeria.”<br />
Successes<br />
The Seawolf Debate Team has been successful<br />
since its beginning, consistently earning regional<br />
and national recognition for the <strong>University</strong><br />
while competing on the National Parliamentary<br />
Debate Association (NPDA) circuit from 1995-<br />
2005. The most significant achievement <strong>of</strong> this<br />
era was Ben Garcia and Chris Richter’s 2002<br />
National Championship where they beat more<br />
than 200 other U.S. teams to be ranked the<br />
best debate team in the nation.<br />
Named Rookie <strong>of</strong> the Year in 1999, Quianna Clay debated for UAA<br />
from 1998-2000. She joined the team at the end <strong>of</strong> her sophomore year<br />
after being hand selected by Steve Johnson. “I had Quianna in a public<br />
speaking class, and when she got up to speak she just blew me away,”<br />
said Johnson. “She had an extraordinary presence, and people gravitated<br />
toward her. She went from never having debated before to being<br />
Rookie <strong>of</strong> the Year at the end <strong>of</strong> her first year <strong>of</strong> competition. At the end<br />
<strong>of</strong> her second year, she was in semifinals at Nationals. Of all the teams<br />
in the U.S., she was in the top four.”<br />
After refocusing the program from NPDA to International Style<br />
Debate in January 2005, the Seawolves garnered immediate international<br />
attention by winning the Rotterdam Open Tournament in the<br />
Netherlands. The team also won the U.S. Universities Championships in<br />
2005 and placed second to Harvard <strong>University</strong> at<br />
the U.S. Universities Championships in 2006. At<br />
the 2007 World Universities Debating<br />
Championship, the team <strong>of</strong> Chris Kolerok and Tom<br />
Lassen reached the semifinal round, beating<br />
teams from Stanford, Yale, Cambridge and<br />
Oxford. Their performance ranked them in the<br />
top two percent <strong>of</strong> teams in the world and as the<br />
top debate team in North America.<br />
Debater Severin Randall<br />
participates in a public<br />
debate and discussion on<br />
the controversial Pebble<br />
Mine project.<br />
accolades 9
Ben Garcia and Chris Richter<br />
topped a field <strong>of</strong> 282 debate teams<br />
at the 2002 National Parliamentary<br />
Debate Association’s annual<br />
championship, beating such<br />
intellectual powerhouses as Notre<br />
Dame, UC Berkeley and Rice<br />
<strong>University</strong>.<br />
Engaging the Community<br />
The team’s missions are to provide opportunities for people to participate<br />
in critical public discourse, and to train others in skills needed to participate<br />
in the political process as engaged contributors.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the difficulties the team faces is that they are the only collegiate<br />
debate team in <strong>Alaska</strong> so to compete they have to travel Outside.<br />
“We don’t have any home games,” said Johnson. “That’s one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
reasons we decided to start the Cabin Fever Debates, our intramural<br />
debating tournament.”<br />
In its third year, the tournament continues to grow and has generated<br />
a strong presence on UAA’s campus and in the community. In 2006, the<br />
program started with 12 teams. In 2007 it grew to 20 teams. Now in<br />
2008, 28 teams, or 56 students, are involved.<br />
The tournament is open to all UAA students who aren’t currently on<br />
the competitive debate team. The program provides students the opportunity<br />
to hone their critical thinking and advocacy skills by bringing students<br />
together for a series <strong>of</strong> five Tuesdays during the dark, cold months<br />
<strong>of</strong> January and February. Students learn how to debate and are paired<br />
up to compete against one another for the grand prize <strong>of</strong> $2,000.<br />
Winners selected from each individual debate go onto a semifinal round,<br />
and the top two winners from each semifinal round proceed to compete<br />
in the final round.<br />
Students discuss anything that’s controversial, including alternative<br />
energy, health care, predator control and more. “We try to choose topics<br />
that are timely and that will make students feel connected,” said<br />
Johnson.<br />
“I heard about the Cabin Fever Debates and thought it sounded like<br />
fun,” said Randall. “My partner and I ended up winning the ’07 tournament<br />
and Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Johnson encouraged me to begin attending team<br />
practices regularly. It was an intimidating but exhilarating experience<br />
that really got me hooked on debate. Before I even did my first debate, I<br />
knew it was something I wanted to do because when I watched the<br />
competitive team do a demonstration debate, I couldn't wait to have my<br />
chance to talk. It was really exciting this year when I was part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
competitive team demonstrating how to debate to other new people.<br />
Everything came full circle.”<br />
The team is about more than just competitive debating. It hosts a<br />
major public policy debate each semester, inviting members <strong>of</strong> the public<br />
to campus to engage in discussions on important and relevant topics.<br />
The team also reaches out to the local middle and high school communities<br />
by hosting the <strong>Alaska</strong> State High School Drama, Debate and<br />
Forensics Tournament each year.<br />
Learn more about the Seawolf Debate Team by visiting<br />
http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/seawolfdebate/.<br />
Visit http://greenandgold.uaa.alaska.edu/podcasts/ to listen to a podcast<br />
interview with Steve Johnson, director <strong>of</strong> the Seawolf Debate Team.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Johnson is an associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor in the Department <strong>of</strong> Communication and Discourse Studies,<br />
and is the director <strong>of</strong> the Seawolf Debate Team. He has been involved in competitive debating for more<br />
than 20 years. He has held a variety <strong>of</strong> leadership positions in academic debating, including president <strong>of</strong><br />
the National Parliamentary Debating Association, the largest intercollegiate debating organization in the<br />
U.S. Johnson is active in international debating and currently serves as the secretary for the World<br />
Universities Debating Council. He has also been involved with the Chinese English Language Debating Championships since<br />
2004, and has served as chief adjudicator for the past two years <strong>of</strong> the tournament.<br />
10 accolades
UAA DEBATE TEAM<br />
Honoring a Friend<br />
Encouraged by her parents to stay close to home after graduating<br />
from high school at 17, Erica Cline Blackledge enrolled in classes<br />
at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong>. Her plan: stay in <strong>Alaska</strong> for<br />
two years, satisfy her general education requirements and then<br />
transfer to a college out <strong>of</strong> state. Inspired by her involvement in<br />
debate at Robert Service High School, Erica immediately auditioned<br />
for UAA’s Seawolf Debate Team and joined the team her<br />
freshman year. As a result <strong>of</strong> her involvement with the team, Erica<br />
ultimately decided to complete her degree at UAA. Erica kept busy<br />
by double majoring in management and marketing, and double<br />
Erica Cline Blackledge and Quianna Clay<br />
minored in communication and justice.<br />
During her second year on the team, Erica met her debate partner and friend Quianna Clay. Steve Johnson<br />
sensed a connection between Erica and Quianna and knew they would make a great pair. During the next few<br />
years the team known as “<strong>Alaska</strong> CC” (Clay-Cline) formed a unique bond. They traveled throughout the country and<br />
competed internationally together in parliamentary debate. Together they practiced for countless hours, briefed<br />
issues and conducted research. “The bond between debate partners is hard to describe,” said Erica. “We could<br />
finish each others’ sentences.”<br />
The team received two citations from the <strong>Alaska</strong> State Legislature for their success and eventually advanced to<br />
semifinals at National Parliamentary Debate Association Nationals. After graduating from UAA, “<strong>Alaska</strong> CC” parted<br />
ways, both attending law schools out <strong>of</strong> state. After completing her first year <strong>of</strong> law school, Quianna was returning<br />
from a trip to the Kenai Peninsula and was tragically killed in a car accident.<br />
“Qui taught me that you can’t take life too seriously,” said Erica. “I tend to take things too seriously, but Quianna<br />
always made sure I would take a step back from it all and relax – she made me enjoy life. She had a great heart.”<br />
Erica and her husband, who is also a UAA grad, knew they eventually wanted to make a philanthropic contribution<br />
to the <strong>University</strong>. “I knew that once we were in a position to give back to UAA, the Seawolf Debate Team would<br />
be our focus,” said Erica. The couple recently started the Quianna Clay Debate Scholarship in honor <strong>of</strong> a great<br />
friend and debater. The scholarship will keep Quianna’s memory alive, while helping to support other students who<br />
make the commitment <strong>of</strong> time and energy to participate in debate.<br />
Erica Cline Blackledge now works as an attorney for an international law firm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.<br />
Find out how you can give back to UAA. Contact UAA’s Office <strong>of</strong> Development<br />
at (907) 786-4847 or visit www.uaa.alaska.edu/advancement/giving/.<br />
accolades 11
CELEBRATINGThe A RTS<br />
& HUMANITIES
CELEBRATING THE ARTS & HUMANITIES<br />
Symphony <strong>of</strong> Success: Music at UAA<br />
O<br />
n any given day during the school year the melodic sounds<br />
<strong>of</strong> saxophones, violins, and even an occasional oboe greet<br />
visitors as they enter the UAA Fine Arts Building. Students in this<br />
academic program not only concentrate on honing their craft, but<br />
are steeped in the practice and theory <strong>of</strong> music. UAA’s Music<br />
Department is a source <strong>of</strong> musical energy that spills joyfully into<br />
the campus community and beyond.<br />
Faculty and student concerts, student recitals, as well as<br />
recordings are dynamic contributors to the cultural climate <strong>of</strong><br />
Southcentral <strong>Alaska</strong>. This year <strong>Alaska</strong> Pro Musica, one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
most durable combos in the state, consisting <strong>of</strong> faculty members<br />
Walter Olivares on violin, Mark Wolbers on clarinet and department<br />
chair Timothy Smith on piano, released a new CD.<br />
“Stravinsky: L’Histoire du Soldat,” the trio’s first nationally<br />
distributed album, featured two world recording premieres by<br />
composers with strong connections to <strong>Alaska</strong>: Craig Coray, an<br />
adjunct instructor in the department who lives in <strong>Anchorage</strong>, and<br />
Kenneth Bensho<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> Seattle, Wash., who was raised in Fairbanks<br />
and has family there.<br />
In addition to teaching, UAA’s music faculty participate in community<br />
music organizations and perform with local symphonies,<br />
opera companies, concert choirs and orchestras. They <strong>of</strong>fer performances<br />
and master classes at local schools, directing or<br />
assisting with youth symphonies, judging district and state solo<br />
and ensemble competitions, and hosting jazz, keyboard and choral<br />
festivals. Members <strong>of</strong> the faculty have gained national recognition<br />
as composers, writers and recording artists and have presented<br />
concerts statewide and throughout the U.S., Asia and South<br />
America.<br />
The faculty serve as models for students, who during their<br />
career at UAA, perform in local music events, teach in the community,<br />
work at local music stores and participate in <strong>Anchorage</strong><br />
music organizations.<br />
Academically, students choose one <strong>of</strong> three degree programs:<br />
Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Arts in Music, Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Music in Performance, and<br />
Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Music with an emphasis in Music Education. There’s<br />
also a minor in music for students majoring in other academic<br />
areas. Students benefit from what can only be called an optimum<br />
physical learning environment. Classes are held in the Fine Arts<br />
Building, a modern $30 million facility with state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art, 220-<br />
seat recital hall; clean, well-lighted classrooms; computer access,<br />
a listening lab, soundpro<strong>of</strong> practice rooms, lockers and quiet<br />
areas for study and relaxation.<br />
UAA strives to not only educate students, but to serve as a<br />
public square for the community. Annual events such as Jazz<br />
Week and the Symphony <strong>of</strong> Sounds <strong>of</strong>fer a chance for students<br />
and faculty to showcase their skills, but also gives the community<br />
the opportunity to hear the incredible music being performed<br />
at UAA.<br />
Whether playing for themselves or the community, students<br />
and faculty in the music program know the truth <strong>of</strong> the Confucius<br />
statement that says human nature is impossible without music’s<br />
special pleasures.<br />
A Collage <strong>of</strong> Mediums: Art at UAA<br />
n “Sank<strong>of</strong>a: Years & Caretakers,” an exhibition <strong>of</strong> monoprints<br />
featured at the <strong>Alaska</strong> State Museum earlier this year, UAA art<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor Garry Kaulitz traveled into his past to reclaim it and<br />
VISUALART<br />
therefore move forward. He laid his personal history before the<br />
viewer, chronicling the past and stepping into the future.<br />
Through the UAA Art Department and its programs, both students<br />
and faculty delve into art history but also recapitulate the<br />
past and embrace the future through their practice and learning <strong>of</strong><br />
sculpture, photography, ceramics, painting, metal-smithing, drawing,<br />
digital imaging, foundations and other disciplines. The result<br />
is an art education that addresses the difficult and critical issues<br />
<strong>of</strong> our time while encouraging students to pursue an educated<br />
imagination to “make a difference in society.”<br />
The art department takes a comprehensive multi-studio<br />
approach to encourage independent thinking, foster energetic<br />
creativity and develop in every student knowledge <strong>of</strong> art’s critical<br />
and historical functions.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>. Kaulitz and other members <strong>of</strong><br />
the talented faculty help their students<br />
MUSIC<br />
I<br />
acquire technical skills, confidence in<br />
working with a variety <strong>of</strong> materials,<br />
and the knowledge necessary to<br />
evaluate the great heritage <strong>of</strong> past<br />
and contemporary art and design.<br />
Students choose either a Bachelor <strong>of</strong><br />
Arts program that gives them the<br />
experience <strong>of</strong> problem solving in a<br />
liberal-arts context; a Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Fine<br />
Arts program that gives them pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
art training; a Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Fine<br />
Arts in Digital Graphics and Design<br />
whereby they receive training in<br />
applied arts; Art Education, for<br />
teacher preparation; or a Continuing<br />
Education program as either as a<br />
pre- or post-baccalaureate student.<br />
Study <strong>of</strong> the past, imitation and<br />
re-invention <strong>of</strong> proven techniques <strong>of</strong><br />
artistic creation, and artistic discovery<br />
are milestones on the road to knowledge<br />
and practice <strong>of</strong> art.<br />
Opposite page: UAA art pr<strong>of</strong>essor Garry Kaulitz pulls a<br />
colagraphic print while students Nancy Stallings and<br />
Sandra Lower look on. Above: <strong>Alaska</strong> Pro Musica members<br />
and UAA music pr<strong>of</strong>essors Walter Olivares, Timothy Smith<br />
and Mark Wolbers.<br />
accolades 13
CELEBRATING THE ARTS & HUMANITIES<br />
14 accolades<br />
Swing, Saunter, Set, Stage:<br />
Theatre and Dance at UAA<br />
T<br />
he show always goes on for the UAA Department <strong>of</strong> Theatre<br />
and Dance. The production <strong>of</strong> plays and dance performances<br />
keep the university’s stages and studios busy throughout the year.<br />
Production is at the heart <strong>of</strong> the award-winning theatre program.<br />
Every year, UAA Theatre produces a series <strong>of</strong> full-length<br />
plays on its state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art Mainstage, a convertible thrust stage<br />
that’s one <strong>of</strong> the most thrilling playhouses in <strong>Alaska</strong>. Students also<br />
produce and direct full-length and one-act plays in the Jerry<br />
Harper Studio Theatre.<br />
The Theatre and Dance program enjoys strong ties to the<br />
world beyond the campus. Its actors, for example, are not limited<br />
to students. The plays are cast at open auditions, and besides<br />
theatre majors and non-majors, directors recruit members <strong>of</strong> the<br />
community. One <strong>of</strong> the highlights <strong>of</strong> the history <strong>of</strong> theatre at UAA,<br />
Above: The 2005 UAA production <strong>of</strong> Shakespeare’s last play, “The<br />
Tempest,” was called a “work <strong>of</strong> enchantment” by one newspaper<br />
reviewer. Right: Theatre and Dance faculty member Katya<br />
Kuznetsova shows how the freedom and grace <strong>of</strong> dance lift the spirit.<br />
T HEATRE<br />
and DANCE<br />
in fact, was a 1999 production <strong>of</strong> “King Lear” that depended for<br />
much <strong>of</strong> its success on a 69-year-old veteran actor in the title role.<br />
That was Jerry Harper, who died in 2005 and whose name graces<br />
the studio theatre.<br />
This year, the department ventured into a new kind <strong>of</strong> arena.<br />
The cast <strong>of</strong> “She Stoops to Conquer,” the Restoration comedy by<br />
Oliver Goldsmith that was a Mainstage production in late winter,<br />
produced a handful <strong>of</strong> intentionally silly videos, under the title<br />
“She Stoops to Gossip.” During the run the cast posted them on<br />
the online video farm, YouTube.<br />
The department schedules special Mainstage shows as “High<br />
School Matinees” so <strong>Anchorage</strong> secondary school students can<br />
attend the theatre at deeply discounted rates.<br />
The UAA Dance program is among the most vital in <strong>Alaska</strong><br />
and is the first in the state to <strong>of</strong>fer dance-degree programs, leading<br />
to a B.A. in theatre with a dance emphasis or a minor in<br />
dance. UAA Dance, too, maintains an active performance role<br />
within the community through its continued residencies for guest<br />
artists – important names in the field <strong>of</strong> dance who teach, perform<br />
and direct performances while forging ties to such organizations<br />
as Out North Contemporary Art House, <strong>Alaska</strong> Design Forum,<br />
Homer Arts Council, International Gallery <strong>of</strong> Contemporary Art,<br />
<strong>Alaska</strong> Dance Theatre and others.<br />
Those who support UAA Theatre and Dance show their<br />
affection for one <strong>of</strong> the greatest arts organizations in <strong>Alaska</strong> in<br />
many ways. They become season subscribers, saving more than<br />
Photo by Micha Sanders
30 percent <strong>of</strong> the cost <strong>of</strong> individual tickets. Staffers at the UAA<br />
Theatre box-<strong>of</strong>fice (907) 786-4849 can explain how to subscribe.<br />
Among next year’s scheduled Mainstage productions are<br />
Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” Euripides’ “The Trojan Women,”<br />
and the musical “Godspell.”<br />
Supporters contribute to the Masterpieces <strong>of</strong> the Theatre<br />
Foundation Account to help pay for honorariums, equipment,<br />
travel and training. They donate to the William R. Wilson<br />
Scholarship Account to support the production, publication and<br />
encouragement <strong>of</strong> original drama at UAA; to the Dayle Skore<br />
Memorial Foundation Account to provide scholarships and<br />
awards to students admitted to the Theatre and Dance program;<br />
and to the Chandler Braley Memorial Dance Scholarship fund to<br />
give financial aid to a male dancer in the UAA Dance Program.<br />
The UAA Alumni Association piggybacks on UAA Theatre and<br />
Dance productions through its “Curtain Call” program. This is a<br />
pre-play reception for interested alumni who visit the campus and<br />
watch the play at a discount.<br />
The department also <strong>of</strong>fers “Backstage Tours” to invited<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the public who pay a fee to learn about the Theatre<br />
and Dance program. Prior to an evening’s show, they take a<br />
guided tour <strong>of</strong> the theatre house and the set. This occurs during<br />
two <strong>of</strong> the season’s Mainstage productions, once for each show.<br />
For anyone not involved in theatre, a Backstage Tour is perhaps<br />
the best way to walk the boards and smell the greasepaint.
A New Way <strong>of</strong> Writing at UAA<br />
W<br />
hen it comes to change and growth, leading UAA into the<br />
21th Century, the university’s literary arts program stands<br />
proudly beside its science departments, researchers, business<br />
and nursing schools and other programs.<br />
The Department <strong>of</strong> Creative Writing and Literary Arts (CWLA) is<br />
currently undergoing its most sweeping developments since it<br />
grew out <strong>of</strong> the English Department some 10 years ago.<br />
This year CWLA is inaugurating a new, low-residency mode <strong>of</strong><br />
delivery. The revised program, to begin in July, will give graduate<br />
students the flexibility to live a genuine writing life without having<br />
to uproot their families and leave jobs and homes. It is the first<br />
time low-residency creative-writing instruction has been <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
in <strong>Alaska</strong>.<br />
During the three-year Master <strong>of</strong> Fine Arts (MFA) program<br />
administered by CWLA, graduate writing students – at home<br />
wherever they may live – write and study under the guidance <strong>of</strong><br />
individual writing mentors. The mentors include CWLA core<br />
faculty as well as a large body <strong>of</strong> notable writers and teachers<br />
from across <strong>Alaska</strong> and around the country. The program’s foundation<br />
is the 12 days <strong>of</strong> summer residency in <strong>Anchorage</strong> when the<br />
core faculty, all guest mentors and the students gather for an<br />
intensive session <strong>of</strong> lectures, craft workshops, manuscript<br />
critiques and public readings. Altogether, MFA Creative Writing<br />
students at UAA participate in four summer residencies. Noted<br />
fiction author Ron Carlson will be this year’s keynote speaker during<br />
the residency that begins July 13.<br />
Another CWLA program about to start is the Northern<br />
Renaissance and Art Series, an intellectual and aesthetic festival<br />
<strong>of</strong> public lectures, readings and performances by writers, scientists,<br />
artists, musicians and cultural leaders, all at the top <strong>of</strong> their<br />
game. Not just students and faculty will enjoy these talks and presentations,<br />
but the general public will be invited as well. They will<br />
occur during the students’ summer residency but at other times at<br />
UAA as well.<br />
Through presentations and events like the Northern<br />
Renaissance lecture series, the new CWLA program will exert an<br />
extraordinary impact on the <strong>Anchorage</strong> community.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the principal themes <strong>of</strong> the lecture series – one as<br />
strong in the arts at UAA as in the sciences – is the forging <strong>of</strong> links<br />
among disciplines. This notion conforms well with one <strong>of</strong> CWLA’s<br />
main objectives, which is to infuse the study <strong>of</strong> writing with crossdisciplinary<br />
and cross-cultural elements. Both the lecture series<br />
and MFA program will foster intellectual and artistic dialogue<br />
among artists grappling with ideas <strong>of</strong> landscape and humanity.<br />
JASON WENGER MEMORIAL FUND/SCHOLARSHIP Jason Wenger was a 27-year-old student pursuing a Master<br />
<strong>of</strong> Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing at UAA when he was<br />
shot dead in a random killing in <strong>Anchorage</strong> in early December. His death shocked the Department <strong>of</strong> Creative Writing<br />
and Literary Arts as well as the broader community. The man charged with killing him has been charged also with<br />
killing his own father and wounding three other people in a rampage.<br />
Jason’s thesis was in fiction and he had been expected to graduate in May. His MFA was awarded posthumously<br />
during a memorial ceremony at UAA on Jan. 15.<br />
In Jason’s honor, the <strong>University</strong> has established a fund for the Jason Wenger Memorial Writing Award. As <strong>of</strong> early<br />
March, the fund balance was about $6,000, raised through donations. CWLA pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jo-Ann Mapson, who was<br />
Jason’s thesis advisor, says the first award in Jason’s name will be given out this year to a graduate writing student<br />
CREATIVE<br />
who demonstrates exceptionally strong literary talents and whose thesis is exemplary.<br />
Those interested in supporting future writing scholarships at UAA as well as the establishment <strong>of</strong> the Northern<br />
Renaissance Science & Art Series, which is part <strong>of</strong> the new, low-residency MFA writing program, can make a taxdeductible<br />
donation to the Excellence in Creative Writing & Literary Arts Fund. Please send donations to CWLA or to<br />
the Advancement Office, adding the line, ATTN: Excellence in Creative Writing & Literary Arts Fund. The address is the<br />
same for either: UAA, 3211 Providence Drive, <strong>Anchorage</strong>, AK 99508. For more information, please call (907)786-4394.<br />
WRTITING<br />
16 accolades
CELEBRATING THE ARTS & HUMANITIES<br />
<strong>Alaska</strong> Quarterly Review:<br />
A quarter-<strong>of</strong>-a-century<br />
<strong>of</strong> literary excellence<br />
T<br />
he <strong>Alaska</strong> Quarterly Review (AQR), published by the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong> and edited by Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Ronald Spatz, turns 25 this year. Founded in 1982, AQR has<br />
received widespread acclaim and has directed the nation's<br />
attention to the literary arts in <strong>Alaska</strong>.<br />
A quarter-<strong>of</strong>-a-century <strong>of</strong> literary excellence was celebrated on<br />
Feb. 3, 2008 at the Loussac Library in <strong>Anchorage</strong>. The event<br />
marked the opening <strong>of</strong> a month-long <strong>Alaska</strong> Quarterly Review 25th<br />
Anniversary Photographic Exhibition featuring some <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong>’s<br />
best photographers and contributors to AQR. Anniversary<br />
celebrations in Homer, Fairbanks, Sitka<br />
and Nome also marked this milestone,<br />
and additional events are planned for<br />
Bethel and Palmer, with a second<br />
round <strong>of</strong> events in Homer and<br />
Fairbanks.<br />
Deemed by The Washington Post<br />
Book World as "one <strong>of</strong> the nation's best<br />
literary magazines," and most recently<br />
by the Sunday New York Times Book<br />
Review as "fresh treasure," <strong>Alaska</strong><br />
Quarterly Review demonstrates that<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong> has<br />
an important place in the larger<br />
literary world.<br />
We have stayed true to our<br />
mission – to produce a<br />
national, front-line literary<br />
journal featuring new and<br />
emerging writers, poets,<br />
playwrights, essayists and<br />
photographers.<br />
AQR Editor Ronald Spatz<br />
“We have stayed true to our mission – to produce a national,<br />
front-line literary journal featuring new and emerging writers,<br />
poets, playwrights, essayists and photographers. We are honored<br />
that the <strong>Alaska</strong> Quarterly Review has helped put <strong>Alaska</strong> on the<br />
literary map,” said Spatz. “It has been an honor and a privilege to<br />
work on this project since the very beginning.” Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Spatz<br />
also serves UAA as the dean <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> Honors College and<br />
director <strong>of</strong> the community outreach Web site, LitSite <strong>Alaska</strong>.<br />
www.uaa.alaska.edu/aqr<br />
accolades 17
CELEBRATING THE ARTS & HUMANITIES<br />
THE H UMANITIES<br />
Ask the Questions -<br />
Discover the Answers<br />
I<br />
n a world where scientific and technological<br />
knowledge is said to double every five years<br />
or less, the humanities can pride themselves on<br />
holding to the eternal verities, the study <strong>of</strong> what<br />
makes us human in spirit and desire through the ages<br />
– philosophy, history, language.<br />
But in the humanities no less than in the sciences,<br />
knowledge advances, as it must advance, if the race is to<br />
survive. Because, as H.G. Wells put it not so very long ago,<br />
“Human history becomes more and more a race between<br />
education and catastrophe.” The humanities at UAA complement<br />
the sciences and deepen students’ understanding <strong>of</strong><br />
themselves and their world.<br />
The Department <strong>of</strong> History and Geography, for example,<br />
takes as its subject everything that human beings have ever<br />
thought and done, to the extent that it was remembered, that<br />
what was remembered was recorded, and that what was<br />
recorded has survived. The learning <strong>of</strong> history is, by definition,<br />
one <strong>of</strong> humanity’s greatest challenges. Small wonder<br />
it is <strong>of</strong>ten defined as interpretation and argument<br />
without end.<br />
And yet knowledge <strong>of</strong> history is the principal means<br />
by which humans discover and preserve their collective<br />
identity, through which they glimpse their potential and acquire, if<br />
they’re lucky, a clear-eyed view <strong>of</strong> their limitations. At UAA, students<br />
undergoing the intellectual discipline <strong>of</strong> history examine and interpret<br />
the <strong>of</strong>ten fragmentary and incomplete documentary records <strong>of</strong> human<br />
activity and try to balance the scientific technique and creative<br />
imagination at the heart <strong>of</strong> the historical enterprise. All this so they<br />
can weave fragments <strong>of</strong> evidence into an intelligent account <strong>of</strong><br />
human experience.<br />
The department <strong>of</strong>fers UAA students a B.A. as well as a<br />
minor in history. The award <strong>of</strong> honors in history recognizes<br />
distinguished achievement by undergraduate majors in the<br />
study and writing <strong>of</strong> history.<br />
The UAA Department <strong>of</strong> Philosophy also seeks to develop<br />
its students into well-rounded agents <strong>of</strong> their own destinies,<br />
whether they choose to major or minor in philosophy, or<br />
wish to acquire the Certificate in Applied Ethics. In either<br />
case, students avail themselves <strong>of</strong> a variety <strong>of</strong> courses in<br />
the central areas <strong>of</strong> philosophy. They grapple with the<br />
most fundamental problems in the field, building confidence<br />
so they emerge fully aware <strong>of</strong> the great historical<br />
dilemmas and especially their application to contemporary<br />
issues.<br />
A brief sample <strong>of</strong> recent faculty presentations at<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional conferences shows the breadth <strong>of</strong> scholarship<br />
the department supports, to the benefit <strong>of</strong> both<br />
faculty and students. Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>. Raymond Anthony, for example,<br />
delivered a paper last year in Sweden on developing an animal ethics<br />
through the philosophy <strong>of</strong> technology. Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>. and department<br />
chair Tom Buller’s paper, delivered in Barcelona a few years ago, was<br />
titled “Brains, Lies and Neuroimages.” And Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>. Stephanie<br />
Bauer appeared in Nova Scotia three years ago to ask, “Can traditional<br />
models <strong>of</strong> autonomy suffice?”<br />
Philosophy at UAA takes the measure <strong>of</strong> man and woman from crown<br />
to foot while delving deeply into the human soul and its unending negotiations<br />
with the external world. Students who pursue a degree in<br />
Philosophy at UAA – through the Philosophy track, the Applied Ethics<br />
track, or the Law track – appreciate at a rock-bottom level that today the<br />
fight for truth and justice in the human condition goes hand in hand with<br />
the pulse <strong>of</strong> neurons, business-investment in the Third World, and the<br />
prosaic needs <strong>of</strong> our animal cousins.<br />
The hallmark <strong>of</strong> the humanities is perhaps the human capacity for<br />
language. And at UAA, where some 2,000 students enroll in courses in<br />
American Sign Language, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, <strong>Alaska</strong><br />
Native Languages, Korean, Latin, Russian and Spanish, at levels from<br />
beginning to fluency, language is a linchpin in the students’ understanding<br />
<strong>of</strong> cultural diversity.<br />
About 100 students study language as their undergraduate concentration.<br />
But whether the focus is on language as major or minor or a means<br />
to a more sophisticated cultivation <strong>of</strong> the self, the UAA language student<br />
emerges better prepared to live and work in a world in which contact<br />
with other cultures is more frequent and in which appreciation and<br />
respect for linguistic and cultural diversity is more important.<br />
Two new instructors in the UAA Department <strong>of</strong> Languages illustrate<br />
the high value it places on language pr<strong>of</strong>iciency, creativity and teaching.<br />
The Rev. Koun Franz, a new term instructor <strong>of</strong> Japanese, was trained as a<br />
priest at the Soto Zen monasteries <strong>of</strong> Zuio Temple in Ehime Prefecture<br />
and Shogo Temple in Kumamot Prefecture. Rev. Franz also holds a<br />
master's degree in Creative Writing in Fiction from Eastern Washington<br />
<strong>University</strong>.<br />
Ms. Margarita Kharlova, from Barnaul, Russia, is the 2007-2008<br />
Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant in Russian. Ms. Kharlova<br />
teaches elementary Russian courses and holds focused conversation sessions<br />
with advanced-level students <strong>of</strong> Russian. In addition, she is completing<br />
a degree in cognitive linguistics at the Linguistic Institute, Barnaul<br />
State Pedagogical College.<br />
Broader knowledge and appreciation <strong>of</strong> our fellow citizens <strong>of</strong> the<br />
world and <strong>of</strong> our own place within it – this is the great humanities project<br />
since the time <strong>of</strong> the Ancient World. Today’s world is immeasurably<br />
more complex than the world <strong>of</strong> antiquity, which makes that project even<br />
more crucial – a responsibility taken seriously at UAA.
COMMUNITY<br />
CAMPUSES<br />
The arts and humanities enjoy a flowering at the other community<br />
Arts & Humanities on<br />
the Community Campuses<br />
U<br />
AA’s four community campuses – based in Kenai, Kodiak, Palmer<br />
and Valdez – enable the university to stretch its arms through<br />
much <strong>of</strong> Southcentral <strong>Alaska</strong>, extending its educational mission and<br />
cultural and scientific influence well beyond <strong>Anchorage</strong>.<br />
Consider that two <strong>of</strong> the most important cultural events <strong>of</strong> the year –<br />
not just in <strong>Alaska</strong> but in the American Northwest – are <strong>of</strong>fered by outposts<br />
<strong>of</strong> UAA: Prince William Sound Community College’s Last Frontier<br />
Theatre Conference in Valdez, and the Kachemak Bay Writers’<br />
Conference in Homer, produced by UAA’s Kenai Peninsula College (KPC)<br />
through the college’s Homer branch, Kachemak Bay Campus.<br />
KPC boasts a faculty <strong>of</strong> high accomplishment in the arts and<br />
humanities. Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>. <strong>of</strong> History Cathryn Pearce, for example, has<br />
achieved international fame through her expertise on maritime wrecking<br />
– the malicious practice <strong>of</strong> luring ships onto rocks and disaster<br />
through the use <strong>of</strong> false lights. The BBC documentary series<br />
“Timewatch” featured Dr. Pearce in a show on maritime wrecking that<br />
aired in the U.K. in December. Her paper on the topic, titled “Luring by<br />
False Lights,” will be read in June at the 5th International Congress <strong>of</strong><br />
Maritime History in Greenwich, England. Meanwhile, KPC Associate<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>. <strong>of</strong> Art Celia Anderson, adjunct faculty member Joy Falls, several<br />
KPC art students and a KPC graduate all had original art work exhibited<br />
at the Kenai Fine Arts Center.<br />
campuses as well. Kodiak College, for example, prides itself on<br />
<strong>of</strong>fering an opportunity for a truly liberal education through its<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> English, one that gives students time-honored tools for<br />
self-discovery and exposure to enduring ideas. Arts classes at<br />
Matanuska-Susitna College have led to exhibits <strong>of</strong> student works<br />
in Wasilla.<br />
And at Prince William Sound Community College (PWSCC), where<br />
the play’s the thing, a proposal to have an Associate <strong>of</strong> Fine Arts in<br />
Playwriting was approved by the Statewide Academic Council and<br />
was approved by the Board <strong>of</strong> Regents in April. The linchpin <strong>of</strong><br />
dramatic writing at PWSCC is Dawson Moore, whose own plays have<br />
been produced in San Francisco, New York, Italy and elsewhere.<br />
Moore directs the Last Frontier Theatre Conference. His own playwriting<br />
students in Valdez have gone on to enjoy their own success. One,<br />
Mollie Ramos, has seen her plays accepted at the Valdez conference,<br />
the Fairbanks “8-x-10” festival and others.<br />
Few events in the <strong>Alaska</strong> arts calendar compare with the Last<br />
Frontier Theatre Conference or the Kachemak Bay Writers’<br />
Conference. Both events occur in June and draw nationally known<br />
figures in theatre, fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction. The conferences<br />
shine a glowing spotlight on UAA, give <strong>Alaska</strong>’s own playwrights<br />
and writers unparalleled views into the mysteries <strong>of</strong> their<br />
crafts, and make a positive contribution to the state’s economy by<br />
drawing scores <strong>of</strong> Outsiders.<br />
Award-winning author<br />
Amy Tan was the keynote<br />
speaker at the 2007<br />
Kachemak Bay Writers’<br />
Conference. Below: a<br />
writer at the conference<br />
takes in the breathtaking<br />
scenery <strong>of</strong> Homer, <strong>Alaska</strong>.<br />
Beautiful Valdez, <strong>Alaska</strong>, and its Convention<br />
Center provide the backdrop every June for<br />
the nationally renowned Last Frontier Theatre<br />
Conference, when scores <strong>of</strong> new scripts<br />
receive stage readings and pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
critiques, all <strong>of</strong> it under the eye <strong>of</strong> director<br />
Dawson Moore (red tie).<br />
accolades 19
CELEBRATING THE ARTS & HUMANITIES<br />
SCHOLARLY<br />
RESEARCH<br />
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>. <strong>of</strong> History Cathryn Pearce has been recognized internationally and<br />
featured on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for her expertise on maritime<br />
wrecking. Read more about her work on page 19.
The Other Side <strong>of</strong> Research:<br />
Scholarship and Creative Activity<br />
R<br />
esearch isn’t all lab coats and beakers. The “other” side <strong>of</strong><br />
research, called scholarship, is the branch <strong>of</strong> learning based in<br />
the humanities: philosophy, literature, history and fine arts. In these<br />
fields, the focus is seeking to understand how humanity adapts to<br />
and is affected by all the scientific data we are collecting. How can<br />
we not only survive, but actually thrive?<br />
The humanities at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong> examine<br />
the characteristic <strong>of</strong> reality, the purpose <strong>of</strong> human existence, the<br />
properties <strong>of</strong> knowledge and the qualities <strong>of</strong> sound reasoning, eloquent<br />
communication, and creative expression. They study the problems<br />
<strong>of</strong> right conduct in personal, social and political life. They also<br />
consider the properties <strong>of</strong> the divine, the sacred and the mysterious.<br />
In these tasks, the humanities reflect upon the world’s heritage <strong>of</strong> the<br />
arts, history, languages, literature, religion and philosophy.<br />
Funding for research is always challenging, and individuals in the<br />
humanities have fewer opportunities to win grants than their traditional<br />
science counterparts. There is a great need to encourage<br />
more scholarship; funding and support are crucial to stimulating<br />
innovation. UAA support is available through the Chancellor’s Fund<br />
for Research and Scholarship and the Office <strong>of</strong> Undergraduate<br />
Research and Scholarship (OURS) <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> Honors College.<br />
Other sources are the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and<br />
the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).<br />
"Our ambition is that every motivated student at UAA should have<br />
the opportunities for hands-on inquiry and discovery that will enrich<br />
their undergraduate education and point them toward successful<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional lives," said Ronald Spatz, Dean <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> Honors<br />
College.<br />
Currently at UAA, scholarship in the philosophy department may<br />
help promote more humane treatment <strong>of</strong> animals, and the dance<br />
department will host a festival this spring which celebrates the universality<br />
<strong>of</strong> the common language <strong>of</strong> moving one’s body with rhythm.<br />
Imagine an art exhibit that encourages us to reconsider our past and<br />
try to understand the lessons such reflection can provide as we look<br />
to the future.<br />
The reward for enhancing scholarship is the advantage it gives to<br />
the communities who engage in it. New knowledge gives a competitive<br />
edge that increases the standard <strong>of</strong> living for those who utilize it,<br />
from our university campus to the nation as a whole.<br />
Scholarship opportunities at UAA can be right outside the door or<br />
on the other side <strong>of</strong> the world. Whereas science isolates a single<br />
issue for analysis, the humanities let us see the issue in the bigger<br />
picture as it affects our humanity. And scholarship is an effective<br />
way to captivate student’s attention and ignite learning.<br />
Heather Flynn<br />
in Machu Picchu<br />
Help Shape the Future<br />
with Your Legacy<br />
With a planned gift to UAA, you can help shape<br />
the future <strong>of</strong> higher education in <strong>Alaska</strong>.<br />
To make a difference in our community and state, a<br />
bequest – a gift through your will or living trust – is an<br />
excellent way to provide for the outstanding higher<br />
education UAA provides. Through a bequest, you can<br />
direct specific assets, your entire estate or a percentage <strong>of</strong><br />
your estate to UAA. Or, a charitable gift annuity allows<br />
you to easily arrange a planned gift to the <strong>University</strong> while<br />
receiving a steady stream <strong>of</strong> income payments for life.<br />
You can even pick what program your gift goes to.<br />
“I believe it’s my job to give back,” said Heather Flynn,<br />
M.Ed. ’88, who has donated annually to support the<br />
UAA/APU Consortium Library. She has also planned an<br />
estate gift for UAA, set up through her will. Flynn makes it<br />
a point to give away 50 percent <strong>of</strong> her income every year<br />
to support a variety <strong>of</strong> charities that hold special meaning<br />
for her. “I’ve been fortunate and am financially stable, and<br />
UAA has helped with that.”<br />
Whichever way you decide is best for you; your legacy<br />
will have a positive impact on generations to come.<br />
I want to know more about gifts to UAA<br />
that provide me with income for life.<br />
Send information on including UAA in my will.<br />
Name:_________________________________________<br />
Address:_______________________________________<br />
______________________________________________<br />
Phone:________________________________________<br />
Office <strong>of</strong> Advancement . <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong><br />
3211 Providence Drive . <strong>Anchorage</strong>, AK 99508<br />
Rates will go down on July 1, so make your gift now and enjoy a<br />
higher payout rate for the rest <strong>of</strong> your life.<br />
Sample CGA Rates effective July 2008 for a single beneficiary<br />
Age 60–5.7%, Age 70–6.5%, Age 80–8.0%, Age 90+ –11.3%
FACULTYACCOLADES<br />
Dr. LeeAnn Munk, Chair <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Geological<br />
Sciences, went to Antarctica<br />
where she studied the transport <strong>of</strong><br />
metals from glaciers to lakes for<br />
the McMurdo Long Term<br />
Ecological Research project. This<br />
research was part <strong>of</strong> the National<br />
Science Foundation (NSF)-OPP<br />
Grant awarded to the Byrd Polar<br />
Research Center at Ohio State<br />
<strong>University</strong>.<br />
Leonard F. Kirk, assistant director <strong>of</strong> UAA's Aviation Technology<br />
Division, was one <strong>of</strong> several aviation experts interviewed on PBS's<br />
"The News Hour With Jim Lehrer" for his part in developing a new<br />
GPS-based system known as ADS-B, which provides navigation<br />
aids, weather data, surveillance, communications and flight information<br />
services and is more accurate than radar. Kirk also was<br />
interviewed by a radio station in New South Wales, Australia for a<br />
live broadcast throughout Australia.<br />
Dr. Jocelyn Krebs, UAA biology pr<strong>of</strong>essor, received a<br />
$225,000 three-year research<br />
grant titled, Role <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Williams Syndrome<br />
Transcription Factor (WSTF) in<br />
Xenopus neural development.<br />
The award will provide supplies<br />
and salaries to support<br />
student research in Krebs' lab.<br />
The award was given by the<br />
Whitehall Foundation, a non-pr<strong>of</strong>it corporation<br />
focused on assisting basic<br />
research in vertebrate (excluding clinical)<br />
and invertebrate neurobiology in<br />
the United States. Krebs’ research is<br />
also supported by the National<br />
Institutes <strong>of</strong> Health (NIH).<br />
Dr. Travis Rector, UAA physics and astronomy pr<strong>of</strong>essor, won a<br />
$500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to<br />
develop a new physics and astronomy curriculum that can be used<br />
nationwide. He hired Andrew Puckett who on his own during<br />
Christmas break discovered<br />
archival data that allowed<br />
NASA to refine its forecast on<br />
what's now being called<br />
"Asteroid 2007 WD5," a massive<br />
rock about 160 feet long<br />
and hurtling toward Mars.<br />
The discovery made international<br />
news.<br />
Dr. Diddy Hitchins, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Emerita <strong>of</strong> political science and international<br />
studies, was appointed as a Fulbright Senior Specialist.<br />
She will work with the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Quebec at Montreal (UQAM) to<br />
design the prototype <strong>of</strong> a series <strong>of</strong> far northern Canadian faculty<br />
development institutes with study tours.<br />
Dr. Khrys Duddleston, UAA assistant<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> biological sciences,<br />
was selected to participate in the<br />
2007-2008 American Society for<br />
Microbiology Scholars-in-Residence<br />
Program. Only 13 biology educators<br />
from around the country were<br />
selected to participate in this yearlong<br />
residency aimed at improving<br />
student learning in the microbiological<br />
and biological science.<br />
Craig Coray, UAA adjunct instructor <strong>of</strong> music,<br />
authored “Dnaghelt’ana Qut’ana K’eli Ahdelyax:<br />
They Sing the Songs <strong>of</strong> Many People,” a<br />
book on Dena’ina songs. It was published<br />
by Kijik Corporation in conjunction<br />
with the National Park Service and<br />
will be distributed among inland communities<br />
to help revive the traditional<br />
language, song and dance.<br />
ENRI faculty, postdoctoral scientists,<br />
and graduate students presented five<br />
papers at the American Geophysical<br />
Union Meeting in San Francisco. They highlight<br />
a series <strong>of</strong> findings including: CO2<br />
released at Toolik Lake, AK; shrub abundance on the<br />
North Slope; areas switching from being carbon sources to carbon<br />
sinks; rates <strong>of</strong> soil N cycling; and<br />
<strong>Alaska</strong> lakes vegetation and salmon<br />
return intensities. Many <strong>of</strong> these<br />
findings are supported by National<br />
Science Foundation (NSF),<br />
International Polar Year (IPY) and<br />
Biocomplexity awards to Drs. Welker,<br />
Sveinbjornsson and Sullivan and represent<br />
the culmination <strong>of</strong> many years<br />
<strong>of</strong> field research projects in <strong>Alaska</strong><br />
and Greenland.<br />
Sherry Simpson, UAA pr<strong>of</strong>essor and<br />
chair <strong>of</strong> creative writing and literary<br />
arts, has published a new book.<br />
“The Accidental Explorer:<br />
Wayfinding in <strong>Alaska</strong>” is a collection<br />
<strong>of</strong> lyrical essays recounting<br />
Simpson’s adventures exploring the<br />
great state <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> and the similar<br />
elements <strong>of</strong> soul searching. The<br />
book is available from all major book retailers.<br />
22 accolades
S P O T L I G H T O N<br />
ALUMNI<br />
Christian Muntean<br />
Working in communities ripped apart by famine, disaster, and even<br />
war, and seeing the people <strong>of</strong> those places desperate and hurting,<br />
has caused one <strong>Alaska</strong>n to dedicate his life to solving those<br />
problems. Christian Muntean is that man. As the executive director<br />
<strong>of</strong> Beyond Borders, an <strong>Alaska</strong> faith-based, humanitarian, nonpr<strong>of</strong>it<br />
agency dedicated to empowering communities by building strong<br />
leaders and promoting healing through the sharing <strong>of</strong> their Christian<br />
faith, Muntean works on these problems every day.<br />
Continued on next page
SPOTLIGHT ON ALUMNI<br />
www.uaaalumni.org<br />
Muntean first got started on this path shortly after high school when he began<br />
doing missionary work.<br />
“While working in the Middle East in my early 20s…I realized I needed more training,”<br />
Muntean said. He came home and went through the sociology program at the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong>. Upon graduating, he worked for various emergency<br />
relief and rehabilitation programs in areas like Sudan, Kenya and Kosovo.<br />
Muntean has since come home to <strong>Alaska</strong> where he’s working to help wounded<br />
rural <strong>Alaska</strong> communities move beyond their tribulations through the Beyond Border’s<br />
Transforming Leaders program, which trains leaders in rural areas.<br />
According to Beyond Borders, the rural communities <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> lead the nation in<br />
rates <strong>of</strong> suicide and poverty, as well as sexual, substance and domestic abuse.<br />
“Our vision for rural <strong>Alaska</strong> is that hurting communities will become healing communities,”<br />
Muntean said. “We work with any leader who desires to see his or her<br />
community do well.”<br />
“One thing that drives me has to do with the time I’ve spent in conflict and war<br />
zones,” Muntean explained. “You can feel a real sense <strong>of</strong> despair that nothing will<br />
change because you never hear <strong>of</strong> a willingness to change.”<br />
Working in <strong>Alaska</strong> has been somewhat different. “Some years ago, I began to recognize<br />
that the <strong>Alaska</strong> Native people were different,” Muntean said. “And that fills me<br />
with hope.”<br />
It has taken a lot <strong>of</strong> learning for Muntean to get to this point. His experiences in<br />
the field have been vital to his understanding <strong>of</strong> peoples and cultures, but his education<br />
gave him greater insight into underlying themes within those cultures.<br />
“I didn’t recognize it at the time, but after I graduated I realized what an<br />
absolute top-notch training I received from UAA,” Muntean said. “In my first<br />
assessment <strong>of</strong> a refugee camp, I clearly remember referring back to both theoretical<br />
and assessment models I had been introduced to at UAA.” Muntean said this<br />
helped him identify issues within the village that were being intentionally hidden.<br />
It wasn’t just the subject matter that held interest for Muntean inside the halls<br />
<strong>of</strong> UAA, but the pr<strong>of</strong>essors that captured his imagination. Several pr<strong>of</strong>essors captivated<br />
him during the course <strong>of</strong> his study. “They had a very clear sense <strong>of</strong> interest<br />
in their subject, they enjoyed teaching and their classes all made me consider<br />
switching majors at some point,” he said.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>ile by Morgan Sneed–JPC 201<br />
Morgan Sneed, 26, is a Journalism and Public Communications major at UAA. He is a<br />
combat correspondent for the U.S. Air Force. He does video production and documentation<br />
for the Air Force and has recently begun doing broadcast journalism.<br />
Alumni giving impacts<br />
scholarships at UAA<br />
Back Row: Sarah Aiken, Letitia Churchill, Michelle Steffens; Center: Lindsey Moore<br />
Scholarships are an investment in a young person’s future. For many UAA students,<br />
scholarships mean the difference between holding two jobs or one, or<br />
being able to attend school at all. For other students, scholarships reward<br />
their creativity and talent. Every scholarship at UAA nurtures <strong>Alaska</strong>’s future<br />
teachers, engineers, managers, artists, nurses and scientists, among others.<br />
The cost to attend UAA for an undergraduate resident can run as high as<br />
$6,000 per year; room, board, transportation and other costs can run another<br />
$9,000. To reduce the financial burden<br />
and keep students focusing on academic<br />
success, financial aid and<br />
scholarships are available. Nearly<br />
half <strong>of</strong> all students at UAA receive<br />
some sort <strong>of</strong> financial aid. Last year,<br />
friends and alumni gave generous<br />
outright gifts and endowments, providing<br />
more than $465,000 in scholarship<br />
funds. Overall, UAA <strong>of</strong>fers students<br />
more than 200 private scholarships,<br />
changing the lives <strong>of</strong> hundreds<br />
– Jennie Schroll, Master <strong>of</strong> Social Work<br />
<strong>of</strong> students.<br />
The UAA Alumni Association provides<br />
a handful <strong>of</strong> UAA’s scholarships – the Alumni Scholarships. These<br />
scholarships are awarded annually to six students, one from each <strong>of</strong> UAA’s<br />
schools and colleges. Since 1982, the Association has provided more than<br />
$83,000 in scholarship support to students. These scholarships are made possible<br />
by the generosity <strong>of</strong> alumni who contribute each year through the UAA<br />
Annual Fund and the Alumni Association's annual scholarship raffle sponsored<br />
by <strong>Alaska</strong> Airlines, combined with earnings from the Alumni Permanent<br />
Scholarship Endowed Fund. This is just one way the Alumni Association is<br />
giving back to UAA in support <strong>of</strong> today's students.<br />
This scholarship will<br />
assist me in completing<br />
my life-long goal <strong>of</strong><br />
continuing to assist<br />
and empower those in<br />
need and to show them<br />
that other people care<br />
about them.<br />
24 accolades
Seawolf alumni show<br />
strong support <strong>of</strong> UAA<br />
The Rasmuson Challenge to Alumni ended on Dec. 31,<br />
2007, meeting 100 percent <strong>of</strong> the $100,000 dollar-fordollar<br />
match <strong>of</strong> eligible gifts. The net result was<br />
$200,000 <strong>of</strong> impact from the generosity <strong>of</strong> UAA alums.<br />
Alumni giving also exceeded that amount with an<br />
additional $7,925 in gifts. Gifts from this challenge<br />
grant have touched every corner <strong>of</strong> UAA, including all<br />
<strong>of</strong> UAA’s schools and colleges, 38 different departments,<br />
several extended campuses and at least 51<br />
specific <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> Foundation funds.<br />
Quotes from Scholarship Recipients<br />
“Your financial support has opened the door to many new and exciting possibilities<br />
which will hopefully become realities. I thank you for your investment<br />
in my future.”<br />
– Michelle Steffens, Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Arts in Economics<br />
“Politics is my passion. <strong>Alaska</strong> politics right now are in serious need <strong>of</strong> new,<br />
honest faces. I think that receiving a scholarship helps to keep me focused on<br />
the goal <strong>of</strong> becoming that much needed new face.”<br />
– John H. Roberson III, Pat Brakke Memorial Scholarship Winner<br />
“This scholarship has further inspired my motivation to obtain my degree and<br />
to continue to be involved with my university and community. I am proud that<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong> <strong>of</strong>fers numerous interesting, goal<br />
oriented and constructive activities for students.”<br />
– Sarah Aiken, Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Science in Geomatics<br />
“Your generosity has enabled me the freedom to focus on my studies and has<br />
lightened my financial worries. I am forever grateful for this gift and only hope<br />
that one day I can do the same for someone else.”<br />
– Letitia Churchill, Associate <strong>of</strong> Applied Science in Nursing<br />
“Thank you for your generous contribution to my education; my dreams seem<br />
even more realistic.”<br />
– Lindsey Moore, Master <strong>of</strong> Education in K-12 School Counseling<br />
These students are just a select few <strong>of</strong> the lives touched by scholarship<br />
support. Financial support provided by scholarships truly makes a difference<br />
for a student’s education and future career goals. To find out how you can<br />
designate your annual gift to the Alumni Permanent Endowed Scholarship<br />
Fund visit www.uaa.alaska.edu/giving, or contact Stacey Marsh, Executive<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> the UAA Alumni Association, at (907) 786-1941, or Julia Martinez,<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> Annual Giving, at (907) 786-1278.<br />
* The amount <strong>of</strong> the scholarship award is influenced by the market and the earnings available to be distributed<br />
from the endowment each year. Additionally, fundraising activity earnings from the UAA Alumni<br />
Association annual raffle also impact the amount <strong>of</strong> the scholarships.<br />
Dr. Matthew<br />
Johnson<br />
F.A.M.I.L.Y. is everything to<br />
Dr. Matthew Johnson, an ’84<br />
graduate <strong>of</strong> UAA’s Bachelor<br />
<strong>of</strong> Social Work program.<br />
Johnson is founder and president<br />
<strong>of</strong> F.A.M.I.L.Y. Rules,<br />
Inc., one <strong>of</strong> the fastest growing<br />
parenting programs in the<br />
United States. He has been<br />
teaching “Positive Parenting<br />
With A Plan (Grades K-12):<br />
FAMILY Rules” since 1986,<br />
and in 2000 decided to put his<br />
teachings into a book. His<br />
book and teachings have<br />
proven to be a huge success,<br />
with Dr. Johnson speaking in 80 cities throughout the United States and Canada each<br />
year to share his experiences with pr<strong>of</strong>essionals and parents. Dr. Johnson also has a<br />
private practice, providing psychological counseling and testing services to children,<br />
adolescents, adults, couples and families.<br />
“A lot <strong>of</strong> parents ‘fly-by-the-seat-<strong>of</strong>-theirpants’<br />
while parenting, but FAMILY Rules provides<br />
parents with a game plan to guide them<br />
along,” said Dr. Johnson. Having grown up in a<br />
dysfunctional family, Dr. Johnson understands<br />
how the lack <strong>of</strong> organization, structure, accountability<br />
and communication can lead to marital<br />
and family chaos in the home. FAMILY Rules targets<br />
the entire family system for change, not just<br />
the child(ren). Each person in the family is<br />
required to improve his or her attitudes and<br />
behaviors in a positive manner. Dr. Johnson’s<br />
book is used across the nation in schools, treatment<br />
facilities, churches, juvenile and divorce<br />
courts, child protection and foster care agencies,<br />
and as a textbook in graduate programs.<br />
<strong>Alaska</strong> was the<br />
last place I<br />
thought I’d play<br />
ball, but it was<br />
the best thing that<br />
could’ve ever<br />
happened to me.<br />
– Dr. Matthew Johnson<br />
In 1980, Dr. Johnson, also known as “Dr. J,” came to <strong>Alaska</strong> from Salem, Oregon to<br />
attend UAA on a full-ride basketball scholarship. “<strong>Alaska</strong> was the last place I thought<br />
I’d play ball, but it was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me,” said Dr.<br />
Johnson. At 6’9”, Matthew was one heck <strong>of</strong> a basketball player. One <strong>of</strong> his proudest<br />
moments at UAA was when he scored his first two collegiate points against James<br />
Worthy <strong>of</strong> North Carolina in the Great <strong>Alaska</strong> Shootout, aired nationally on ESPN.<br />
But his experience at UAA wasn’t all about basketball. After taking a career inventory<br />
test in high school, Matthew learned that he would enjoy being a taxi driver, bartender,<br />
forest ranger or a counselor. He chose to go the counselor route, earning his<br />
Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Social Work degree with emphases on family and child welfare. “At the<br />
time, UAA didn’t have a Master <strong>of</strong> Social Work program, so I gained a lot <strong>of</strong> great experience<br />
in <strong>Anchorage</strong> with my bachelor’s degree before moving onto graduate school,”<br />
said Dr. Johnson. “I wouldn’t have gotten that kind <strong>of</strong> experience anywhere else but in<br />
<strong>Anchorage</strong>.”<br />
After earning his B.S.W. degree at UAA and gaining some experience in <strong>Anchorage</strong>,<br />
“Dr. J” moved to New Jersey to work on his Master <strong>of</strong> Social Work degree at Rutgers<br />
<strong>University</strong>. From there he went to George Fox <strong>University</strong> to complete his Master <strong>of</strong> Arts<br />
and Doctor <strong>of</strong> Psychology degrees in Clinical Psychology.<br />
“Dr. J”, his wife, their four kids and their dogs currently call Grants Pass, Oregon<br />
home. He enjoys swimming and fishing in the Rogue River, biking and shooting hoops<br />
with his kids. “I’m so proud <strong>of</strong> my kids,” said Dr. Johnson. “They’re awesome basketball<br />
players, great students, well-behaved and a great testimony to the success <strong>of</strong> my<br />
career as a parenting pr<strong>of</strong>essional.”<br />
What’s next for “Dr. J”? “I plan to continue to take over the world one family at a<br />
time,” said Dr. Johnson. “My long-term goal is to kick Dr. Phil’s butt. I want to take<br />
over his market and send him packin’! I’m kinder, gentler, funnier, taller and I have<br />
more hair.”<br />
accolades 25
Don’t watch from the sidelines –<br />
Join the team!<br />
Photo courtesy <strong>of</strong> Gregg Segal<br />
Kendra Guffey dons her pirate swag for a photo shoot with Los Angeles<br />
Magazine. This photograph was taken at the Eco Dive Center in Culver<br />
City, California, where Kendra works as an assistant dive instructor.<br />
Kendra Guffey<br />
Being a scuba instructor, a costumer, a Web designer and a reality-show pirate is<br />
all in a day’s work for UAA alumna Kendra Guffey. Not only does Guffey balance<br />
working five jobs, she also finds time to do volunteer work and takes pleasure in<br />
traveling the globe.<br />
The 1990 graduate might be best known for appearing on the CBS reality show<br />
”Pirate Master,” which followed 16 modern-day pirates in their quest for gold<br />
worth $1 million on the Caribbean island nation <strong>of</strong> Dominica in summer 2007. The<br />
program, still featured online at cbs.com, continues to generate fan mail for Guffey,<br />
who says she was the only “true pirate” on the show, having participated in a<br />
pirate guild for years. Since her appearance on the show, she has been featured<br />
in several magazines and has made appearances at charity events.<br />
Adventure has always been a way <strong>of</strong> life for Guffey, 39, who grew up in <strong>Alaska</strong><br />
hunting, fishing, hiking and clamming with her family. Guffey’s parents are commercial<br />
fishermen in Prince William Sound, and Kendra spends time on their boat<br />
when she comes home to visit. She considers herself a skilled outdoorswoman<br />
with a competitive drive. “She is interested in almost everything,” testifies her<br />
mom, Carole Guffey.<br />
Guffey’s many interests meant she took her time figuring out her major at UAA<br />
before settling on completing an English degree. “English has helped me with the<br />
ability to work almost any job,” Guffey says. And as varied as her jobs have been,<br />
they’ve all required her to communicate effectively. Although she works as an<br />
assistant scuba instructor at Eco Dive Center in Los Angeles, Guffey also performs<br />
as a pirate in theatrical groups at festivals, movie openings, fairs and various<br />
entertainment events. She’s also pursuing studies in costuming at Otis College <strong>of</strong><br />
Art and Design in Los Angeles, hoping to become a costumer for film and television<br />
productions.<br />
An adventurous spirit has informed all <strong>of</strong> Guffey’s life choices, from climbing to<br />
Everest Base Camp in Nepal at 17,655 feet, to shark diving in South Africa, to landing<br />
a gig on a reality television program. Her next adventure – climbing Mt.<br />
Kilimanjaro to help raise money for diabetes research.<br />
Although she eventually wants to return to her home state for good, Guffey says<br />
she plans on “seeing the world above and below the ocean.” In fact, Guffey considers<br />
her greatest accomplishment since graduating from UAA is living out her<br />
dreams — as a real pirate would, she says. “I am proud <strong>of</strong> the way I live my life.”<br />
The UAA Alumni Association provides alumni networking activities, career services,<br />
campus events, legislative affairs outreach and regional alumni programming.<br />
We have been working hard to increase our activity and communication<br />
with UAA alumni locally, regionally and across the globe and it’s being noticed.<br />
UAA Alumni and the Alumni Association are more visible and active today than<br />
ever before!<br />
No matter where you live, or what your expertise is, there is a place for you<br />
in the UAA Alumni Association. Visit www.uaaalumni.org today and take a look<br />
at the opportunities available. If you live in <strong>Anchorage</strong>, join the Events<br />
Committee and help plan fun, social, networking activities that draw alumni<br />
together. Do you like to write and be creative? The Communications Committee<br />
may be the perfect place for you. If you want to help advocate for higher education<br />
in <strong>Alaska</strong> and allocating resources to UAA, the Legislative Outreach<br />
Committee will give you the opportunity to influence the future <strong>of</strong> higher education<br />
in <strong>Alaska</strong>. Have just a few hours here and there to give? Volunteer for a<br />
specific activity or event that you can give two, three or four hours to on a specific<br />
day.<br />
You say you don’t live close enough to get involved? We say don’t worry –<br />
you still can help! Sign up to be a Regional Contact and help promote membership<br />
in your area! We’ll even work with you to help identify alumni living and<br />
working near you so you can get together and network, or just stay in touch with<br />
each other.<br />
Our 15-member Board <strong>of</strong> Directors represents the 30,000+ alumni <strong>of</strong> UAA. If<br />
you are interested in representing the members <strong>of</strong> the Alumni Association and<br />
helping to shape our future, consider running for a seat on the Board <strong>of</strong><br />
Directors. Application information is available at www.uaaalumni.org.<br />
This is YOUR Alumni Association – don’t stand on the sidelines and watch,<br />
join the team and get involved today! Call the UAA Alumni Association today at<br />
(907) 786-1942 or visit us on the Web at www.uaaalumni.org.<br />
It’s a great day to be a Seawolf!<br />
Stacey Marsh<br />
Executive Director,<br />
UAA Alumni<br />
Association<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>ile by Jennifer McMullen – JPC 201<br />
Jennifer was born and raised in <strong>Alaska</strong>. She is a Journalism and Public<br />
Communications student at UAA. Jennifer works part-time for Starbucks<br />
C<strong>of</strong>fee, where she is a barista and supervisor. She enjoys playing the<br />
piano, snowboarding, hiking, camping and hanging out with her family and<br />
friends. After graduating from UAA, Jennifer hopes to work as a magazine<br />
journalist.<br />
“Wolf Wrack” is one <strong>of</strong> the 11 Big<br />
Wild Seawolves that hang in the<br />
Wells Fargo Sports Complex.<br />
“Wolf Wrack” was created by<br />
Debbie Deboc and sponsored by<br />
the Nye Family <strong>of</strong> Dealerships.<br />
26 accolades
SPOTLIGHT ON ALUMNI<br />
www.uaaalumni.org<br />
UAA ALUMNI Give Back<br />
A record number <strong>of</strong> nearly 1,500 alumni donors gave to<br />
UAA during FY06-07. These alums gave more than<br />
$220,000 to UAA, more than any previous year.<br />
In 2007, alumni giving revenue accounted for 6 percent<br />
<strong>of</strong> total philanthropic dollars raised, triple that <strong>of</strong> 2004.<br />
So far this year (FY07-08), more than<br />
1,100 alumni have given to UAA – well on the<br />
way to breaking last year’s record.<br />
Collectively since 2004, UAA alums gave more<br />
than $746,000 dollars in philanthropic support.<br />
UAA has an alumni donor in each <strong>of</strong> the 50 United States.<br />
49%<br />
21%<br />
30%<br />
The alumni participation rate for 2007 topped<br />
5 percent, the strongest showing to date.<br />
There were 463 new alumni who gave for<br />
the very first time in 2007, doubling from the prior year.<br />
To date in 2008, alumni account for 66 percent <strong>of</strong> UAA’s<br />
total donors, although corporations still represent the<br />
greatest source <strong>of</strong> philanthropic revenue to UAA.<br />
These numbers refer to the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong> FY07.<br />
FY07 started on July 1, 2006 and ended on June 30, 2007.<br />
Where do Alumni Give ?<br />
Unrestricted/The UAA Annual Fund*<br />
Scholarships<br />
Program Support & Faculty Excellence<br />
* The UAA Annual Fund is the most flexible and strategic fund to support UAA. These<br />
unrestricted dollars allow impact to students and programs as opportunities arise.<br />
Photo courtesy Linda E. Allen<br />
Brenda Fickey<br />
career. Her time away from the classroom provided her the opportunity to concentrate<br />
on her own writing, at which point she decided to focus on children’s<br />
“Hank Baker is alone in literature. “I’m proud <strong>of</strong> publishing my first book in the shadows <strong>of</strong> my husband’s<br />
his belief that his father death,” said Fickey. “Instead <strong>of</strong> folding in on myself, I was driven to write the<br />
is still alive. Corporal<br />
book in his honor. My second book restored my joy and excitement for what lies<br />
Baker was declared<br />
ahead, beyond my teaching career, toward a new career in writing.”<br />
missing seven years<br />
Fickey attributes many <strong>of</strong> her successes to the experiences she gained at the<br />
earlier, after the Battle <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong>. “Throughout my teaching and writing careers,<br />
<strong>of</strong> Belleau Woods in<br />
I’ve fallen back on the techniques I learned at UAA,” said Fickey. “The education<br />
courses I took at UAA, literally all <strong>of</strong> them, helped me define my own special<br />
France at the end <strong>of</strong><br />
World War I. When<br />
techniques and success stories.” Upon her graduation from UAA, Brenda immediately<br />
started teaching. She acquired an adjunct teaching position at Wayland<br />
Hank finds a skeleton in<br />
the woods near his family's property, questions arise about who it was. He decides Baptist <strong>University</strong>, and also worked as an adjunct pr<strong>of</strong>essor at UAA. One <strong>of</strong> her<br />
to investigate the mystery on his own with the help <strong>of</strong> two friends. Will he discover most memorable experiences at UAA was being on the “other side” <strong>of</strong> a college<br />
the skeleton is his missing father or someone else?”<br />
classroom, helping others to become more pr<strong>of</strong>icient<br />
writers.<br />
Throughout my teaching and<br />
These words describe the book Whispering Darkness,<br />
written by Brenda Fickey, a 1990 graduate <strong>of</strong> UAA’s writing careers, I’ve fallen back on While teaching at UAA, Fickey received two<br />
Master <strong>of</strong> Education program. Fickey is an educator and<br />
“Who’s Who Among Colleges and Universities”<br />
the techniques I learned at UAA.<br />
children’s novelist currently residing in Aurora, Colorado.<br />
awards. In 2007 she was named the “Cambridge<br />
– Brenda Fickey<br />
Whispering Darkness, her first novel, was published in<br />
Who’s Who for Educators and Pr<strong>of</strong>essionals.”<br />
March 2007, and her second novel, Echoing Silence, is in the works. Both books are<br />
Currently, she keeps busy by teaching language arts, science, history, and<br />
set in southern Arkansas and are based loosely on stories her grandmother once<br />
music and drama to 7th and 8th graders at Centennial Christian Academy, a<br />
shared with her. To begin the third book in her series, Brenda will travel to Arkansas small private school in Aurora, Colorado. Nearing the end <strong>of</strong> her 28-year stint as<br />
during the summer <strong>of</strong> 2008 to begin research for her next novel. Her fan base consists<br />
mainly <strong>of</strong> children between eight and 12 years old, but she also has fans in<br />
“I’m just getting started on what I hope to be a very satisfying and enjoyable<br />
an educator, Brenda is excited to launch into her career as a full-time writer.<br />
their 90s that enjoy reliving their childhood through Brenda’s words.<br />
career as a children’s novelist,” said Fickey. “Someday I hope to be an awardwinning<br />
writer or have my books on the big screen, but that’s still a dream!”<br />
In 1998, Brenda’s husband became ill and in 2000 his health prompted their family<br />
to move to Colorado. To care for her husband, Brenda set aside her teaching<br />
accolades 27
DRIVE WITH PRIDE!<br />
Support the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong><br />
Alumni Association by purchasing your very<br />
own UAA license plate! Order numbered<br />
plates or get creative and personalize your<br />
plates. Each plate costs $50. All proceeds from<br />
the plates support UAA Alumni Association<br />
activities. For more information visit<br />
www.uaaalumni.org or call (907) 786-1941.<br />
To order your plates online visit<br />
https://www.dmv.alaska.gov/dmv_online_<br />
services/akpages/akplate.aspx.<br />
Go Seawolves!<br />
2007 Alumni<br />
& Friends<br />
Achievement<br />
Awards<br />
Pictured from left to right: Shane Mitchell, Debra Lopez, Eric Lopez, Melanie Baca Osborne, Garry Mealor,<br />
Summer Engler and Leo Bustad. Not pictured: Lynn Koshiyama, Libby Roderick<br />
On Friday, Feb. 15, 2008 the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong><br />
<strong>Anchorage</strong> Alumni Association recognized the<br />
recipients <strong>of</strong> the 2007 Alumni & Friends Achievement<br />
Awards. Each recipient was recognized for<br />
exceptional and outstanding service in his or her<br />
respective category.<br />
Shane Mitchell, Community Service Award<br />
Leo Bustad, <strong>University</strong> Service Award<br />
Lynn Koshiyama; Garry Mealor, Distinguished Teaching Award<br />
Libby Roderick, Staff Award for Excellence<br />
Summer Engler, Student Spirit Award<br />
Eric and Debra Lopez, Special Recognition Award<br />
Melanie Baca Osborne, Past Presidents’ Club Award<br />
The Alumni & Friends Achievement Awards were<br />
created in 1986 to honor individual alumni, faculty,<br />
staff, students and volunteers who have contributed<br />
their time, efforts and creativity to the promotion <strong>of</strong><br />
UAA, the State <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> and the communities in<br />
which they live.<br />
It’s never too early to think about next year. For a complete list <strong>of</strong> award<br />
categories, visit www.uaaalumni.org.<br />
28 accolades
SPOTLIGHT ON ALUMNI<br />
www.uaaalumni.org<br />
ALUM TRACKS<br />
‘00s<br />
’01 Shannon L. Blood, A.A. General Program, has<br />
recently become the new director <strong>of</strong> corporate communications<br />
at Northwest Trustee Services. Her new<br />
role is to direct the communication initiatives for this<br />
and other affiliated companies including Northwest<br />
Title, LLC; Routh Crabtree Olsen, PS; Foreclosure<br />
Expeditors/Initiators, LLC; <strong>Alaska</strong> Trustee, LLC; and USA<br />
Foreclosure.com.<br />
’01, ‘07 Micaela H. Jones, A.A.S. Accounting, M.B.A.<br />
Business Administration, spent 10 years serving our<br />
country in the U.S. Air Force and spent time in the area<br />
<strong>of</strong> operations during Desert Storm. She has since<br />
started a career as the regional director <strong>of</strong> Real Estate<br />
and Development for Providence Health and Services,<br />
<strong>Alaska</strong>. She is married to UAA graduate Tracy D.<br />
Tucker (’93 B.B.A. Accounting) and has five children.<br />
‘02 Gary S. Weiler, B.B.A. Management Information<br />
Systems, returned to <strong>Alaska</strong> in July 2007 from a twoyear<br />
deployment to the Gulf Region Division in<br />
Baghdad, Iraq with the U.S. Army Corps <strong>of</strong> Engineers.<br />
.<br />
’03 Dr. Michael R. Howarth, M.F.A. Creative Writing and<br />
Literary Arts, earned a doctorate in English from the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Louisiana at Lafayette, with the completion<br />
<strong>of</strong> the dissertation, “Under the Bed Creeping: a<br />
Psychoanalytic Approach to Gothicism in Children’s<br />
Literature.”<br />
’03 Jeremy E. Shiok, M.F.A. Creative Writing and<br />
Literary Arts, was recently hired at the architecture<br />
firm Bezek Durst Seiser as a business development<br />
manager. He will manage the company’s marketing<br />
plan, proposal development and contracts quality<br />
review procedures.<br />
‘07 Sadat Aliu, B.S. Civil Engineering, was recently<br />
hired as a staff engineer in the civil engineering<br />
department at R&M Consultants, Inc. Since joining<br />
R&M, Aliu has been providing design support on the<br />
AWWU C-2 A-B sewer upgrade and Arctic Boulevard<br />
rehabilitation: Tudor to Raspberry projects.<br />
‘07 Kamryn A. Brooks, B.A. Music, now works in the<br />
Business Development Department <strong>of</strong> Chugach <strong>Alaska</strong><br />
Corporation.<br />
‘07 Linnzi E. Doerr, B.B.A. Accounting, was hired by<br />
R&M Consultants, Inc. as accounting supervisor. Prior<br />
to joining R&M, she was the <strong>of</strong>fice manager for<br />
Northwest Food Services.<br />
’08 Aurora Hustad, B.S. Natural Sciences, has recently<br />
joined PND Engineers, Inc. as an environmental<br />
scientist in the <strong>Anchorage</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice.<br />
‘92 Curtis Finch, M.Ed. Public School Administration, is<br />
the current superintendent <strong>of</strong> Mecost-Osceola<br />
Intermediate School District in Big Rapids, Michigan.<br />
’94 Roald E. Helgesen, B.A. Political Science, has been<br />
selected by Southeast Regional Health Consortium<br />
(SEARHC) to be its new president and chief executive<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer. Helgesen is a former SEARHC vice president <strong>of</strong><br />
administration.<br />
’97 Carol M. Swinson, B.A. Journalism and Public<br />
Communications, separated from active duty in the U.S.<br />
Coast Guard in June 2007 at the rank <strong>of</strong> lieutenant after<br />
five years <strong>of</strong> service. She also worked as a public<br />
relations writer at a community college and as a<br />
copywriter at advertising agencies in both New Mexico<br />
and <strong>Alaska</strong>. She currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida.<br />
Carol is married to Billy Swinson and is a stepmom to<br />
Jennifer (13) and Tyler (10).<br />
‘03 1st Lt. Nickoles A. Steward, B.A. Justice, was<br />
recently designated a naval aviator while serving with<br />
Helicopter Training Squadron 18 in Milton, Florida.<br />
Steward was represented with coveted “Wings <strong>of</strong><br />
Gold,” marking the culmination <strong>of</strong> months <strong>of</strong> flight<br />
training.<br />
’04 Elizabeth L. Pendlay, B.A. Political Science, was<br />
recently hired by the North Dakota Supreme Court as a<br />
clerk.<br />
’05 Matthew Gilbert, B.A. English, interned at the<br />
Cabinet level and at the Department <strong>of</strong> Defense in the<br />
summer <strong>of</strong> 2006. He was invited to the South Lawn <strong>of</strong><br />
the White House to see President Bush re-authorize<br />
the Voting Act <strong>of</strong> 1965.<br />
’06 Jessica A. Reyna, B.A. Psychology, was recently<br />
hired by AT&T as an events manager. She will be<br />
responsible for event planning, sponsorship support<br />
and community relations initiatives throughout <strong>Alaska</strong>.<br />
’06 Sterling Sears, B.S. Aviation Technology, has joined<br />
<strong>Alaska</strong> USA Trust Co. as trust and investment services<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer. He is responsible for assisting clients in identifying<br />
their individual investment goals and developing<br />
customized investment programs to meet their needs.<br />
The UAA Admissions and Financial Aid staff celebrates earning the1st place trophy for the Large Group category in the 2007<br />
Homecoming Spirit Contest. The staff transformed their department, complete with a hockey rink, volleyball court, press<br />
boxes, locker rooms and spirited fans!<br />
’08 Emily L. Tweto, B.S. Psychology, joined<br />
OrthoSynetics as executive administrative assistant.<br />
She will be working in the Information Technology<br />
Department, and will also help manage the day-to-day<br />
operations <strong>of</strong> the Dallas <strong>of</strong>fice.<br />
‘90s<br />
’90 Kevin D. Davis, B.S. Civil Engineering, joined Ulteig<br />
Engineers in Sioux Falls. Davis has 17 years <strong>of</strong> experience<br />
and is licensed in <strong>Alaska</strong>, Colorado, Alabama and<br />
Alberta, Canada.<br />
’90 Brenda D. Fickey, M.Ed. Secondary Education,<br />
became a published children’s book author as <strong>of</strong><br />
March 2007 with her first book, Whispering Darkness.<br />
She is currently working on her second book, to be<br />
released in 2008. Fickey is also listed in the 2007/2008<br />
Cambridge Who’s Who among Women Pr<strong>of</strong>essionals<br />
and Educators.<br />
’98 Capt. Don R. Leaver II, B.S. Technology, received<br />
orders to Iraq for 15 months and is scheduled to return<br />
in December 2008. He plans to take his UAA house flag<br />
and take pictures with it throughout Iraq.<br />
‘70s<br />
’78 Gail Dekreon, B.A. Sociology, has been appointed<br />
as the 2007-2008 president <strong>of</strong> Soroptimist International<br />
<strong>of</strong> San Francisco, a volunteer service organization for<br />
women in business, management and the pr<strong>of</strong>essions.<br />
Got news? Please send all updates to ayalum@uaa.alaska.edu<br />
and be sure to include your full name, degree, year graduated<br />
and any information you would like to share with your fellow<br />
alumni. For more information on the UAA Alumni Association,<br />
visit http://www.uaaalumni.org.<br />
accolades 29
GENEROUS DONORS<br />
UAA Annual Giving:<br />
A New Tradition, Growing Strong<br />
Giving to UAA transforms lives and builds stronger futures, and<br />
every gift makes a difference. UAA alumni are supporting the<br />
growing tradition <strong>of</strong> annual giving with their philanthropic gifts to<br />
their alma mater.<br />
Currently, UAA alums are contacted in a variety <strong>of</strong> ways to<br />
hear why their support is important and to learn about their<br />
opportunities to give. In 2007, the total philanthropic dollars given<br />
by alums to UAA hit a record <strong>of</strong> more than $220,000.<br />
Annual giving to UAA is on the rise. This trend will continue, as<br />
more alumni understand why UAA is a great investment for their<br />
philanthropic dollars and why their participation in giving matters.<br />
Being a part <strong>of</strong> UAA’s success not only feels good, but also makes<br />
our community, economy and our state a better place to live—for<br />
this generation and the next. Additionally, the level <strong>of</strong> alumni<br />
participation in giving can leverage larger support from<br />
corporations and foundations.<br />
<strong>Anchorage</strong> native Sonya Sheffert graduated from UAA in 1989<br />
with a Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Arts in Psychology. After earning her Ph.D. at<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Connecticut, and completing<br />
a post-doctoral research fellowship at<br />
Indiana <strong>University</strong>, Sheffert is now a cognitive<br />
psychology pr<strong>of</strong>essor and the undergraduate<br />
program director <strong>of</strong> the Psychology<br />
Department at Central Michigan <strong>University</strong>.<br />
“Attending UAA was a very positive<br />
experience for me,” said Sheffert. “I learned<br />
the nuts and bolts <strong>of</strong> science and research,<br />
and I had many opportunities to work closely<br />
with faculty advisors. My research experience<br />
at UAA was key for my acceptance into<br />
graduate school and it essentially secured<br />
Sonya Sheffert<br />
my future. UAA opened so many doors<br />
for me.”<br />
“I decided to give to UAA because I received scholarships in<br />
college and I understand how even a small amount <strong>of</strong> money can<br />
make a huge difference for a student.”<br />
Photo by Timeless Moments<br />
Giving to UAA<br />
a lifetime <strong>of</strong> opportunity<br />
Annual Gifts . Scholarships . Special Gifts . Endowments . Planned Giving<br />
Support UAA this year with a tax deductable gift. For more information on<br />
the ways to give, please contact the Office <strong>of</strong> Development at (907) 786-4847<br />
or toll free at 1-877-482-2230 or www.uaa.alaska.edu/giving.<br />
Office <strong>of</strong> Advancement<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Alaska</strong> <strong>Anchorage</strong><br />
3211 Providence Drive . <strong>Anchorage</strong>, AK 99508<br />
Non-Pr<strong>of</strong>it<br />
Organization<br />
US Postage<br />
PAID<br />
Permit No 107<br />
<strong>Anchorage</strong> AK