University of Alaska Anchorage
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Join the Conversation
Resilience is the ability of a system – like a family, a country or Earth’s biosphere – to cope with short-term disruptions and adapt to long-term changes without losing its essential character. Today we face four major crises – environmental, energy, economic, and equity – that challenge the resilience of the systems we care about and the futures of our students. These books will help us talk about these critical issues and the opportunities they offer for change.
2018-2020: BUILDING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
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Evangelical Climate Scientist Katharine Hayhoe Speaks at UAA
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist whose research focuses on developing and applying high-resolution climate projections to understand what climate change means for people and the natural environment. She is a professor at Texas Tech University where she directs its Climate Science Center. Katharine is also an evangelical Christian, known for talking about climate change in an accessible way with a wide variety of audiences. Katharine has served as a lead author for the Second, Third, and Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessments.
Wednesday, Sept. 11 | UAA Wendy Williamson Auditorium
- 7–8:30 p.m. (doors open 6:30 p.m.) — Shaping Alaska’s Energy Future: How Alaskans Can Meet Their Energy Needs and Tackle Climate Challenges
Thursday, Sept. 12 | UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307
- 10–11:30 a.m. — Katharine will have a conversation with scientists about their role in addressing the climate crisis. Please RSVP at this link.
Thursday, Sept. 12, Faith Christian Community Church (4240 Wisconsin Street)
- 5:30–6:30 p.m. — A New Generation Protecting Our Climate (pizza party for high school and college-aged youth)
- 7–8:30 p.m. — Faith, Climate and Loving Our Neighbor public lecture
This event is sponsored by the UAA/APU Books of the Year. For questions about the UAA/APU Book of the Year Program, please contact Libby Roderick, Program Director.
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Mary Kudenov | Author of Threadbare: Class and Crime in Urban Alaska
Thursday, October 10 from 7:00-9:00pm | UAA ConocoPhillips Integrated Sciences Building, Room CPSB 120
Many is the author of Threadbare: Class and Crime in Urban Alaska, a series of essays exploring life in Anchorage at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. She hold a MFA in Createive Writing from UAA and her work has appeard in multiple literary magazines. Thanks to Alaska Airlines for making it possible for Mary to come!
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Climate Scientist Rick Thoman Presents: On the Elevator of Climate Change
Wednesday, October 28 (place and time to be determined)
What does it mean to be on the "Elevator of Climate Change?" Join climate specialist Rick Thoman of the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy for a talk and conversation about the short and medium term impacts of accelerating climate change in Alaska and how we can prepare.
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Journatlist and Author Dhar Jamail Presents: The End of Ice
Wednesday, November 20 form 4:00-6:00pm | UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room LIB 307
Most recently a Truthout staff reporter, Jamail authored The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption, The Will to Resist: Solders Who Refuse to Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches From an Unembedded Journalist in Occupied Iraq and has won many awards.
Previous Book of the Year Guest Speakers
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And the People Shall Lead: Centering Frontline Communities' Leadership for Racial and Environmental Justice
Featuring:
- Jacqui Patterson, Director, NAACP's national Environmental and Climate Justice Program
- Princess Daazhraii Johnson, Neet'saii Gwich'in, board member of Native Movement and former director of the Gwich'in Steering Committee; and
- Sama Seguinot-Medina, Environmental Health Program Director, Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT)
This Books of the Year panel event discussed the intersections of racial justice, environmental health, and community empowerment.
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Winona LaDuke Speaking on Climate Change
Conversations and Presentations
- Presentation - The Next Energy Economy: Grassroots Strategies to Mitigate Global Climate Change, and How We Move Ahead
- Leading from the Heart: Activism, Identity and Community Empowerment - Conversation between Winona and E.J. David, UAA Psychology, followed by discussion.
- All Our Relations: Environmental Justice and Community Empowerment - Conversation between Winona and Viola (“Vi”) Waghiyi, Environmental Health and Justice Program Director, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, followed by discussion
- Indigenous Resistance and Community Empowerment - Conversation between Winona and Heather Kendall Miller, Native American Rights Fund, followed by discussion.
Winona LaDuke is an internationally reowned award-winning human rights and environmental activist working on issues of sustainable development, renewable energy and food systems. She lives and works on the White Earth reservations in northern Minnesota, and is a two-time Green Party vice presidential candidate. She works nationally and internationally on issues of climate change, renewable energy, and environmental justice with Indigenous communities.
Faculty
Common intellectual experiences -- like Books of the Year programs – are a recognized, evidence-based High Impact Practice that supports student success. UAA and APU faculty have selected six books to use over the next two years as the basis for these discussions.
Community
We invite you to join the conversation around these texts and the overarching theme of "Building Community Resilience." Please participate in upcoming events and partner with us to create meaningful programming for our community to engage in this ever-relevant topic.
The books offer multiple ways to approach this complex topic, ranging from an academic exploration of systems thinking and the synergies between economics, energy, equity and the environment (The Community Resilience Reader) to a call to action on the climate crisis (This Changes Everything) and the best climate solutions (Drawdown) to impassioned essays on community survival by a major Indigenous leader (The Winona LaDuke Chronicles) to creative works highlighting the resilience of individuals and communities impacted by poverty, racism, and extreme weather events (Threadbare and Salvage the Bones).
Resources for 2018-2020 Theme & Books
These resources are available as guides for using books from the current Books of the Year theme, "Building Community Resilience," in your class. The UAA/APU Books of the Year program represents one of the AAC&U's 11 recognized High Impact Practices (HIPs), in this case, Common Intellectual Experiences.
Past Themes & Books
Resources for each theme include reader's guides, faculty resources, and supplemental materials.
About Us
Who Are We?
The UAA/APU Books of the Year program is a powerful partnership between the University of Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University that brings faculty, staff, and community members together to understand common themes. The books serve as the catalyst for discussions of larger issues of local and international significance.
Our programming encourages readers to explore the theme, not just the books, and provides creative venues and forums for people to express their interpretations in different ways.
Contact Us
CAFE/Books of the Year
3211 Providence Drive, LIB 302
Anchorage, AK 99508
What Makes Us Unique?
The Books of the Year program started in 2006 as part of a Ford Foundation Difficult Dialogues initiative --one of only 26 in the country--to provide a safe environment on campuses for discussions of challenging topics. UAA and APU are now national leaders in this area.
Because of our Difficult Dialogues beginnings, we're different than other university common reading programs. Our goal is to select books that provoke serious discussion about serious issues, rather than providing "introduction to college" exercises or a freshman class bonding experience.
UAA/APU Faculty Steering Committee
Jackie Cason, English
Shannon Donovan, Geography & Environmental Studies
Ian Hartman, History
Joel Potter, Philosophy; Faculty-in-Residence
Christine Stuive, Counseling, Kenai Peninsula College
Alaska Pacific University:
Mei Mei Evans, English and Liberal Studies
Chandler Stroup, Assistant Director of Campus Life
How Are the Theme and Books Selected?
The UAA/APU Faculty Steering Committee participates in a year-long process to select a general theme and two books that support that theme.
Criteria for Theme:
- Relevant to our campuses and community
- Encourages in-depth discussion of challenging multi-faceted topics
Criteria for Books:
- The books collectively must have a balanced approach that foster discussion, not a one-sided view or polemic about a topic
- Content and format lends itself to meaningful, innovative teaching in-line with Difficult Dialogues theory and practice
- Topics have inter-disciplinary appeal
- Available in paperback
EVENTS
- 2018-2020 Theme
Date & Time Location Presentation 3/28/19
5:00-7:00pmAnchorage Museum Drawdown: Showcasing Local and Global Solutions to the Climate Crisis 1/23/19
1:00-2:30pmARTS 116 And the People Shall Lead: Centering Frontline Communities' Leadership for Racial and Environmental Justince
Featuring: Jacqui Patterson, Princess Daazhraii Johnson & Sama Seguinot-Medina11/10/18
7:00-9:00pmKenai Peninsula College Environmental Justice, Indigenous Communities, and the Economy
Featuring: Winona LaDuke11/9/18
7:00-9:00pmWendy Williamson Audtiorium The Next Energy Economy: Grassroots Strategies to Mititgate Global Climate Change, and How We Move Ahead
Featuring: Winona LaDuke11/9/18
2:00-3:00pmUAA/APU Consortium Library,
LIB 307Indigenous Resistance and Community Empowerment
Featuring: Winona LaDuke & Heather Kendall Miller11/8/18
2:30-3:30pmUAA/APU Consortium Library,
LIB 307All Our Relations: Environmental Justice and Community Empowerment
Featuring: Winona LaDuke & Vi Waghiyi11/8/18
11:30am-1:30pmUAA/APU Consortium Library,
LIB 307Leading from the Heart: Activism, Identity and Community Empowerment
Featuring: Winona LaDuke & E.J. David9/21/18
5:00-8:00pmSSB 118 Film/Panel Discussion | This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. Climate
STUDENT ART SHOWS
The UAA/APU Books of the Year is a unique common reading program - we select a theme and books to provoke discussions about serious issues, rather than providing a “common reading” or an "introduction to college" experience. The books vary from year to year, but the underlying concept remains - to stimulate dialogue between people about topics they care about.
Professor Herminia Din uses the Books of the Year theme as a stimulus for an art show, created and curated by senior students. Their reflections on the theme, transformed through their art, is another way for people to engage with serious topics. We’re proud to collaborate with Senior Seminar art class to show the ability of art to portray multiple layers of interpretation. The students’ work illustrates how artists can be actively engaged in serious discussions of contemporary social issues.
We hope you enjoy these catalogues of outstanding images, and discuss the underlying messages with your friends.
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Spring 2019 Books of the Year Art Exhibit
UAA/APU Consortium Library 3rd Floor Atrium
March 29 - April 12, 2019UAA/APU Books of the Year is proud to support this year's student art show, featuring the works from students in ART A491: Senior Seminar. Join us for an opportunity to explore contemporary social issues through the artistic expression of our students.
Drawdown: Showcasing Local and Global Solutions to the Climate Crisis
Anchorage Museum Auditorium
March 28, 2019 from 5:00-7:00pmReception:
UAA/APU Consortium Library 3rd Floor Atrium
April 5, 2019 from 3:00-5:00pm -
Stratum
UAA/APU Consortium Library 3rd Floor Atrium
March 26 - April 6, 2018* We are currently working on making this accessible. Please contact CAFE if you need further assistance.
Featuring Spring 2018 ART A491 Senior Seminar Art Students:
Dave Berry | Grant Deussing | Anita Laulainen | Granite Errico | Anya Gudimova | Mariah Lind | Bryce Ehmann | Stormy Harbour | Jacqui Lockman | Amy Martin | Becka Olson | Patrick Romain | Tiffany Sams -
Identity
UAA/APU Consortium Library 3rd Floor Atrium
March 28 - April 8, 2016* We are currently working on making this accessible. Please contact CAFE if you need further assistance.
Featuring Spring 2016 ART A491 Senior Seminar Art Students:
Alyeska Brunke | Grant Deussing | Lena Ha | Brandi Kerley | Joshua Swan | Lisa Thayer | Marcia Varady | Teal Webber | Michelle Xiao -
[Insert] Reality
UAA/APU Consortium Library 3rd Floor Atrium
March 30 - April 10, 2015* We are currently working on making this accessible. Please contact CAFE if you need further assistance.
Featuring Spring 2015 ART A491 Senior Seminar Art Students:
Jay Baldwin | Susan Bybee | Edmar Carrillo | Jennifer Chavez | Will Dowd | Ray Dummar | Heidi Hanson | Justine Jackson | Erika LeNorman | Victoria Maxim | Stefanie Vigoren. -
Invisible in America
UAA/APU Consortium Library 3rd Floor Atrium
February 19 - April 5, 2013Invisible in America's Catalog*
* We are currently working on making this accessible. Please contact CAFE if you need further assistance.
Featuring Spring 2013 ART A491 Senior Seminar Art Students:
Amber Webb | Chloe Keller | Darla Forman | Eve Mendenhall | Hilary Kjerland | Jabaree Moss | Jessica Addington | Jordan Beckenbach | Nicholas Raffuse | Samantha Kemplen | Rachel Lee | Deroy Brandt
Podcasts
Visit UAA Advancement for the Books of the Year Podcasts listed below.
Author of The Influencing Machine and co-host of NPR's "On the Media"
Recorded February 25, 2014
Author of The Working Poor: Invisible in America
Recorded September 27, 2012
Recorded on October 11, 2011
Author of This is Not Civilization, A Novel
Recorded on October 5, 2010
Author of Shopping for Porcupine
November 12, 2009
April 9, 2009
March 4, 2009
February 23, 2009
February 19, 2009
February 4, 2009
January 28, 2009
Help Support Us
Suggestions & Feedback
We welcome your feedback on our existing programming and faculty support, as well as your suggestions for improving the program.
Faculty, please consider sharing your Books of the Year teaching materials on our website . Please contact UAA/APU Books of the Year if you are interested in contributing.
Time
Share your talent, passions, and expertise by participating in a community forum, leading a discussion on campus or in the community, or partnering with us to develop community and campus programming. Join the Conversation!
Donations
Your financial contributions help support our dynamic programming, including visiting
authors and innovative resources for faculty.
UAA/APU Books of the Year Fund
- Through Giving at UAA. In response to the question, "Where would you like us to direct your gift?" please
select "Other" and type in "UAA/APU Books of the Year Program 20468."
- By Check. Checks should be made to University of Alaska Anchorage with fund number
20468 on the memo line.
Please mail checks to:
University of Alaska Anchorage
c/o University of Alaska Foundation
1815 Bragaw Street, Ste. 203
Anchorage, AK 99508