Contact Us

Laura McCrillis Davis

Operations Manager

Phone: 907-786-5459

Email: lfmccrillis@alaska.edu

Laura Davis is the Operations Manager for the Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce which houses Alaska's Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Program. As the Operations Manager of the Center, Laura is tasked with all fiscal activities between the Center’s grants and contracts as well as supports 6 regional AHEC Centers. 

Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts in Management Studies. She rejoined the Alaska AHEC team and UAA Shared Services in July of 2021. Prior to her current role, Laura managed fiscal activities for Alaska’s AHEC from 2010-2017. Laura has extensive experience assisting the Alaska AHEC Director with managing federal (Health Resources and Services Administration-HRSA), state of Alaska grants and sub-awards over most of the course of the past decade. She also has substantial knowledge of university systems, having worked for two other universities in her career, bringing a total of 13 years working in Higher Education. She has a passion for creating systems and improving processes within her position and between university departments. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling the world.

Ian McCarthy

K-12 Education Coordinator

Phone: 907-786-6583

Email: imccarthy@alaska.edu

Lauren Stredny

Research & Program Evaluator

Phone: 717-727-5757

Email: lsstredny@alaska.edu

Lauren Stredny is the Research and Program Evaluator and joined AHEC in Fall 2017. Her responsibilities include managing the Pipeline Cache (online database for all AHEC activities), compiling reports, performing federally-mandated evaluation of the program, and conducing health-workforce research for AHEC and its affiliates. She holds a BA in Marketing and an MA in Public Policy and Administration with a concentration in Global Health. 

Prior to joining AHEC, Lauren lived and worked in East Africa doing economic and community development in underserved areas. Lauren enjoys board games, traveling with her husband, braving new Alaskan hikes, crossword puzzles, and cooking for friends. 

Annie Thomas

Associate Director of Health Workforce

Phone: 240-386-9424

Email: althomas7@alaska.edu

Kanako Tier

Clinical Training Coordinator

Email: ktier@alaska.edu

Kanako is the Clinical Training Coordinator for Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce - Alaska’s AHEC.  She joined the team in July 2021, after working for the UAA Contact Tracing Team and enjoying her work with the Project ECHO team.  She liaises with partners to co-deliver Continuing Education/Professional Development projects.

Kanako obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge in Natural Sciences before proceeding to do Medicine at the University of Glasgow in the U.K. Before moving to Anchorage, she was a full-time clinician with interest in Medical Education working for the National Health Service in Scotland.  She has lived in 6 different countries, appreciates cultural diversity and feels lucky to be living in Alaska where the aurora, moose and breathtaking sceneries are just at her doorstep.

Spencer Toft

Education Coordinator

Phone: 907-786-4853

Email: satoft@alaska.edu

Spencer Toft, AHEC Scholars Education Coordinator, grew up in Washington, DC before obtaining a BS in Community Health from Texas A&M University. Following graduation, he lived in the Dominican Republic creating education programs for rural and underserved populations located there. After following a life-long dream of living in Alaska, Spencer joined the AHEC Team and looks forward to working with students and communities around the state to continue to improve both the quality and access to healthcare in Alaska.

Katy Wright

Continuing Education Training Coordinator

Phone: 907-786-6589

Email:kswright3@alaska.edu

Katy Wright is the Continuing Education Training Coordinator for the Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce - Alaska’s AHEC. She joined the team in July 2021, after working for the UAA Contact Tracing Team where she served as the Onboarding and Education Manager. She collaborates with community and statewide partners to co-deliver Continuing Education/Professional Development projects.

Katy obtained her undergraduate degrees from the University of Alaska Anchorage in Sociology and Gender Studies before proceeding to complete a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Health Administration, also from UAA. Katy brings over ten years of experience working in higher education as well as several years in the tourism industry to the Continuing Education team. Katy is a lifelong Alaskan and enjoys returning home to Copper Center as often as she can.

Natalie Uy

Data Analyst

Email: nmuy@alaska.edu

Natalie Uy is a Data Analyst with the Alaska Area Health Education Center. Natalie helps to manage and analyze the relational database for the Pipeline Cache (online database for all AHEC activities). She also assists in the development, delivery and analysis of program evaluations. Natalie has skills in both predictive and descriptive analytics.

Natalie recently earned a graduate certificate in Advanced Analytics for Higher Education from Arizona State University. Prior to this, Natalie worked as an 8th grade math teacher in the greater Tucson, Arizona area with a BA in Elementary and Special Education from Northern Arizona University.