September 2014

Alaska Airlines Center, Freshmen Convocation and Campus Kick-Off

     

Dear Community,

Welcome to the 2014-2015 academic year! This is a very exciting time at UAA. Over the last 10 years, our campuses have been transformed with new buildings, including those on our Anchorage campus—the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building, Health Sciences Building, and, Friday, the new Alaska Airlines Center opens with a week filled with activities.

The Engineering & Industry Building is nearing completion and this winter you will see a bridge go up across Providence Drive, linking it with the Health Sciences Building.

UAA is more than new buildings. It is also dedicated faculty and staff working to help our students reach their dreams. How do we do this? With innovations like our new E-Catalog, one-stop online advising page and great support for our veteran and military students! Our talented faculty provide mentorship and support, leading to student contributions to nationally recognized research projects and students receiving national and international awards, including two Fulbrights last year.

Most importantly, from my perspective, is our unwavering commitment to a safe environment and diverse and respectful campus community. We are a community of people who support one another.

My advice to students as you begin this year:

• Stay focused on your goals.
• Stay in touch with faculty.
• Get involved in clubs, attend Seawolf athletic competitions, theater and music events and lectures and discussions.
• If you're stressed or depressed, talk to someone. Counselors in Student Health and Counseling, Residence Life, Student Life and Leadership and advisors throughout the campus are here to support you. Just ask.
• Be safe! Don't drink and drive, and make sure your friends don't, either! At UAA, safety is everyone's business.

 

Student, faculty and staff achievements

Lena Illig

       

Lena Illig received the $1,000 Law Enforcement Education Program (LEEP) Dream Scholarship for the third consecutive year. Lena is among 21 top students throughout the country who will receive the award to encourage their study of law. Congratulations!

UAA's Emerging Leaders Program, aimed at developing and enhancing the leadership skills and competencies of all students across campus, is accepting applications through Sept. 12.

Dr. John Mouracade, associate professor of philosophy, is serving as the new interim dean for the University Honors College.

Sara Loewen-Danelski, library technician at Kodiak College, won the Creative Nonfiction category in the 2014 WILLA Literary Awards for her book, Gaining Daylight: Life on Two Islands.

     

Partnerships with Alaska's schools

Ed Graff, Anchorage School District Superintendent

The Anchorage School District held the 2014 Elementary Cross-District In-Service at UAA, during which ASD and UAA leadership emphasized their partnership.

UAA signed an MOU with the Anchorage School District paving the way for students enrolled in high school to receive dual credit (high school and college) for college courses at UAA.

Prince William Sound Community College expanded its dual credit program with the Copper River School District.

       

Public and private partnerships serving students

UAA's 2014 Summer Engineering Academies, sponsored by BP, served 362 middle and high school students and had a waitlist of more than 50.

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation awarded a three-year, $2.4-million grant to a network of universities, including UAA and UAF, to increase the number of American Indian and Alaska Native students obtaining advanced degrees in STEM disciplines.

Mary Jane and Ed Phelps established the Frank and Jennie (Kalkman) Clark Scholarship with a gift of $26,000, to support local students at Mat-Su College.

         

UAA research is supporting Alaska

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate chose UAA and the Stevens Institute of Technology as co-leads for a new Center for Excellence for Maritime Research. Each partner will receive an initial $1 million cooperative agreement for operations through June 2015.

The most recent issue of the AJSAC Fact Sheet presents data for 1982–2012 on state and local law enforcement personnel in Alaska, including size of law enforcement agencies by number of employed personnel, police-citizen ratio, ratio of sworn officers to civilian employees and employment of women as sworn officers.

UAA excellence serves our students and state

More than 1,500 UAA faculty and staff have completed Title IX training since June under the leadership of UAA's Office of Campus Diversity and Compliance and Title IX coordinators. UAA has also provided Title IX training to UAS.

The College of Business and Public Policy's experimental economics program has been ranked in the top 10 percent of programs of its kind worldwide.

The UAA/APU Consortium Library received grants to make library resources and tutoring services available to all residents of Alaska.

   

Take care of yourselves, take care of each other and make this your best year at UAA!

Best regards,

Tom Case