Dear UAA Community,

We're heading into the homestretch after an amazingly eventful March including the naming of the Alaska Airlines Center in recognition of a new $6.3M, 10-year agreement with Alaska Airlines. We also watched FedEx pilots land a Boeing 747 on Merrill Field and come to its final resting station at the UAA Aviation Center where it will serve as a training tool for UAA aviation maintenance students.

Give a Seawolf howl to Head Cross County and Track and Field Coach Michael Friess who led UAA in its first season of indoor competition to the women's GNAC title, breaking a nine-year run by Seattle Pacific. Coach Friess was also voted West Region Female Team Coach of the year. Go Seawolves! These are just some of the amazing stories being written every day at UAA. Thank you to those who have attended information sessions, provided feedback and volunteered to become involved in the comprehensive review and prioritization of academic and administrative programs and services at UAA that is getting underway. We are committed to making this a transparent and open process. A one-pager describing the process is here. A Program Prioritization website is in the works and there will be a feedback mechanism to ensure all ideas and comments are seen and considered.

I encourage you to get involved.

Program notes

Senator Lisa Murkowski visited with Japanese Language professor Hiroko Harada and her students to learn about what UAA is doing to help Japanese in Rikuzentakata which was devastated by the tsunami.

For the third year in a row UAA is recognized by the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

PWSCC Training Department taught a 40 hour Hazard Waste Operations and Emergency Response course in Tazlina to employees of the Native Villige of Tazlina and Copper River Native Association. See a video of one of the cleanup projects.

UAA was featured in the national publication, Diversity: Issues in Higher Education, for creating a friendlier and more accessible campus for students with disabilities. Nationwide, universities are updating their campuses to comply with new standards, but UAA is on the forefront with above ground heated hallways, wheelchair accessible elevators with braille lettering and Wi-Fi, as well as offering technology-based services for disabled students. Learn more about UAA's programs and services to assist disabled students.

Faculty and Staff notes

Rashmi Prasad has accepted the position of dean of the College of Business and Public Policy. The full story is on Green and Gold.

Mark Madden, professor of aviation technology, received the 2013 National General Aviation Award from the Federal Aviation Administration for the important role he plays in promoting aviation education and flight safety. Professor Madden is named FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year.

Kachemak Bay Campus director Carol Swartz received a citation from the Alaska State Legislature recognizing her 26 years of service and founding of the Kachemak Bay Writer's Conference.

Liz Downing

Liz Downing, Kenai Peninsula College Title III project director is appointed to the Board of Directors of the Alaska Society for Technology in Education. She will lead national and state legislative advocacy.

Publication note

The Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC) has released, "Assaults Committed Against Alaska Police Officers, 2002-2011," issue number 13-03 in its Fact Sheet publication series.

Public square

UAA will host the first ever Alaska Native Studies Conference, "Alaska Native Studies in the 21st Century: Transforming the University," April 5-6 on the UAA Anchorage campus.

UAA's School of Allied Health hosted "Dental Days" March 21-23. The lottery program provides free dental care to individuals on a limited income or with no dental insurance.

Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Justice faculty, volunteered to act as a presiding judge at the recent statewide 2013 Alaska High School Mock Trial Competition in Anchorage at the Boney Courthouse. The competition is sponsored by the Young Lawyers Section of the Anchorage Bar Association and the Law Related Education Committee of the Alaska Bar Association.

Student notes

Rachel Wintz, a senior majoring in Sociology, minoring in Spanish and receiving a Certificate in Civic Engagement was chosen by the American Democracy Project (ADP) to be a "student panelist" for the ADP Student Plenary at their national conference in June.Here is the video Rachel made with the Center for Community Engagement & Learning (CCEL) staff to receive this award.

Diana Hawkins was selected Alaska's New Century Scholar by the Coca Cola Foundation and will receive $2,000 at the national convention of American Community College Association in San Francisco next month. Diana graduates from Prince William Sound Community College (PWSCC)in May.

Last year, during fall semester, UAA's USUAA student government raised $34,000 in "green fees," which will be used to support student sustainability projects and research. Learn more about the project here.

Facilities notes

Mat-Su College celebrated the official opening of the Snodgrass Hall expansion housing nursing and paramedic programs. The event included special recognition for Bill Tull, Mat-Su College's first director from 1958-1959. The College of Health (COH) held an open house on March 7 to showcase the newly renovated Allied Health Sciences Building on the UAA campus. COH Dean Bill Hogan thanked the donors who had made possible the acquisition of high-fidelity (human or patient) simulator manikins and an ultrasound machine for the facility.

Snodgrass Hall

Coming up this month: UAA vs. Harvard Debate: On April 25, UAA is hosting an outstanding team from Harvard University to debate against two students from our own Seawolf Debate team. The debate will happen at the Bear Tooth Theatrepub and will address the motion "This House would repeal the Second Amendment." Another amazing story in the making.

Go Seawolves!

Best regards,

Tom Case