Alaska's rural and multi-cultural environment calls for multidisciplinary approaches
to defining health problems and identifying appropriate solutions. The Institute for
Circumpolar Health Studies (ICHS) was established by the Alaska Legislature in 1988 to improve the health of peoples
of Alaska and other circumpolar areas through instruction, information services, and
basic and applied research in health and medicine.
Our applied research focus supports public health planning and provides opportunities
for students to gain research experience. Our faculty and staff have expertise in epidemiologic study design, quantitative and
qualitative analysis, geographic information systems (GIS), community engagement,
evaluation, and facilitation.
When human services and social work alumna Cass Pook says she has always been a helper, she’s not just referring to her nature as an empathetic and compassionate listener. “Culturally, it's in my DNA to be a helper,” said Pook. “Looking back on it throughout history, 100 or 200 years ago I would have been doing the same thing. I was born to be a social worker.”
After serving a year as the President-elect of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Yvonne Chase is now the president. Dr. Chase shares some of her vibrant background in human services that led her to UAA.
The Housing Action Summit in Anchorage featured a week of events that draw attention to Anchorage’s housing crisis. Faculty and staff from across UAA spoke to Alaska’s News Source about barriers some students face, including food insecurity and homelessness.
Yvonne Chase, Ph.D., associate professor with the Dept. of Human Services under the UAA College of Health, is the new president-elect of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
Human Services Professor Dr. Yvonne Chase and Social Work Assistant Professor Dr. Jessica Ullrich were featured in an Alaska Public Media article about a study they co-authored in the International Journal on Child Maltreatment, titled "A Connectedness Framework: Breaking the Cycle of Child Removal for Black and Indigenous Children." The study explores alternative child welfare strategies to limit family separation.