University Honors College adds two to administrative leadership team

Dean Ronald Spatz is pleased to announce that Judith Owens-Manley and Amanda Saxton have joined the University Honors College (UHC) administrative leadership team.

Judith Owens-Manley, director of the Center for Community Engagement and Learning (CCEL), will join the University Honors College as the interim associate dean. Her appointment will be 50 percent UHC and 50 percent CCEL.

The associate dean is a new position in the University Honors College, and Owens-Manley's position in both UHC and CCEL will allow the CCEL and the Honors College to align two of the best high-impact practices that have been found to make a difference in higher education -- undergraduate research and community engagement. This alignment will bring UAA to a new level of effectiveness and opportunity for all university undergraduates. Owens-Manley will also serve as the academic advisor for Honors College students.

Owens-Manley came to UAA in August 2010 after 12 years directing community engagement at Hamilton College in upstate New York. She earned a doctorate and master's degree in Social Work from the School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, State University of New York and has a faculty appointment as clinical associate professor in the School of Social Work at UAA.

Amanda Saxton will join the University Honors College as operations manager and chief fiscal officer. All UHC administrative staff will report through her.

Over the past 15 years, Saxton has gained experience in the University system with progressive responsibility in fiscal, management, supervisory and leadership roles through positions in UAA Student Activities, the Environment and Natural Resources Institute (College of Arts and Sciences), the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, and the North Pacific Fisheries Observer Training Center (Community and Technical College) where she most recently served as the director. Saxton has also taught Art courses for UAA and for the Alaska Art-in-Schools program.

Saxton earned a Master of Fine Arts in Teaching and Illustration from University of Hartford, a master's degree in Communication Graphics and Illustration from Syracuse University, and a bachelor's degree from UAA (Magna Cum Laude with Leadership Honors). She was also awarded a Phi Kappa Phi National Fellowship.