Margaret Mete honored as emeritus faculty
by Jordana Newman |
School of Nursing professor Margaret Mete was honored for 21 years of meritorious service with the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). The status of emeritus is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon retiring faculty who have attained the rank of full professor and dedicated at least 10 years of faithful service to UAA. Members nominated for the rank are evaluated by their supervisor, a campus wide committee of peers, the provost, and the chancellor.
Dr. Margaret Mete
Margaret Mete joined UAA in 2002 as a term assistant professor in the School of Nursing. From 2003 until 2008, she
held the rank of assistant professor, tenure track. In 2009, she was promoted to the
rank of associate professor with tenure; she achieved the rank of professor in 2020.
Throughout her academic career, Mete has demonstrated meaningful leadership and influence in her service to the school, university, community, and the state. She has served on numerous School of Nursing committees and ad hoc groups over the years, including chairing the School of Nursing’s Faculty Association and serving on the BSN and AAS Curriculum committees, along with many other groups.
In addition to her faculty role, Mete serves as the Kodiak College site coordinator for the School of Nursing. She teaches and is an academic advisor to nursing students and pre-nursing students in Kodiak. She has worked on numerous committees for Kodiak College, such as the Kodiak College Instructional Council, and the Community Engagement Committee, and is part of their Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT). She is a current volunteer member of both the Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center (PKIMC) Hospital Auxiliary and the PKIMC Advisory Board. She has served several community agencies and professional societies over the years.
Mete recently completed her Ph.D. in Indigenous Studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her dissertation research, “Celebrating Alutiiq Cultural Revitalization: Pathways to Individual Health and Community Wellness” has been presented in two separate international online seminars sponsored by the Coyote Institute, a nonprofit organization whose mission “is to enrich contemporary medicine and psychology with the knowledge and wisdom of indigenous cultures." She has presented her work at the Alaska Nurses Association and has incorporated some of the research findings into the undergraduate Rural Health Course taught to RN-BSN students. The dissemination of her work helps Alaska nurses and other health professionals to gain knowledge and understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing to facilitate holistic health for Indigenous individuals and communities.
In the future, Mete plans to volunteer to work with the Recruitment and Retention of Alaska Natives into Nursing (RRANN) program to educate nursing students and faculty about culturally-appropriate holistic health and health interventions that reflect Indigenous culture and worldview.
“Dr. Mete is a student-centered educator and a generous, helpful, and hard-working colleague who treats others with kindness and respect,” said Debbie Craig, Dean of the UAA College of Health. "Her ability to create lasting connections with our students and positively influence the lives of her many students is a wonderful gift for them."
“Dr. Mete served as a mentor to me, she provided encouragement and shared many resources to help me along the way,” said Cindy Trussell, professor at Kodiak College. "Throughout her career, she has been a collaborative educator with her peers as evidenced by sharing courses, mentoring new faculty, and even keeping close ties with those of us at the community campuses. Without her collaborative spirit, the nursing program could not have been offered as successfully on our campus."
“Dr. Mete is a gifted teacher who actively supports students, and who works to facilitate their success both as students and as professionals,” wrote the UAA School of Nursing faculty in a unanimous letter of recommendation for Mete's appointment as professor emerita. “She was the first member of the School of Nursing faculty to teach classes to Anchorage students from a distance site. She was a UAA Technology Fellow and is a consistent leader in the adoption of new educational technology. She is generous in providing education and support to other faculty in the School of Nursing who are interested in integrating new technology into their courses. The School of Nursing has benefitted enormously from Dr. Mete’s contributions to the nursing program."