I LOVE UAA: Dr. Christopher Dyke

Alaska came looking for cardiologists Dr. Christopher Dyke and his wife, Dr. Ankie Amos, six years ago in the form of an invitation from the Alaska Heart Institute (AHI). A trip north to see just what Anchorage and AHI had to offer and a warm reception from Anchorage residents convinced them that this is where they wanted to settle and raise a family.

"It didn't take long to see this is a special place-AHI, Anchorage, this U-Med campus," says Dr. Dyke.

While Anchorage may have had to go knocking to find Dr. Dyke, his background at prestigious university medical centers and his commitment to education made him seek out a local university connection where he could offer his expertise. UAA's WWAMI program medical students benefit from local physicians like Dr. Dyke who are willing to offer training during their clinical years. Medical students typically join him for a 4-week rotation, two of which are spent working directly with him and the remaining two with colleagues he recruits who may have other areas of expertise.

Dr. Dyke's involvement with UAA's WWAMI program eventually led to introductions at the UAA Honors College. Exciting things were happening in undergraduate research and his curiosity was piqued by meeting some of the researchers and seeing their poster presentations. He says, "I was floored-I was meeting students who exceeded my expectations, but also exceeded where I had been and I had been in some pretty marquis places." Honors College Dean Ron Spatz asked him to join the advisory board and share his vision for the future of the college. Though they're only able to convene twice a year, he says, "The dialogue is great. I hope to grow in my role as a member of the Honors College board."

Dr. Dyke has been continually impressed by the depth and diversity of academic programs at UAA. And he's committed to turning students on to research. "I think the earlier you get people in their developmental cycle-we talk about stem cells that have the potential to differentiate into all these specialty cells-if you can find people early enough, you can really help transform what they want to do and what they can contribute," he says. "I can help guide people a little bit. We're helping to train Alaskans. Our state is really dependent upon the product we make here."

In addition to his generous time commitments to UAA's WWAMI program and Honors College, Dr. Dyke has also made generous financial commitments. He and his wife joined UAA's College of Fellows in 2010 and have continued to renew their support each year. He understands the importance of cultivating the next generation of medical providers and, in addition to his personal support of UAA, he also sits on the board of Providence Alaska Medical Center and his employer, AHI, maintains a donor pool and supports a research foundation in which he also plays a part. He wants the community to understand the value of Anchorage's U-Med campus: "We're training medical students here, we're doing research here, we're integrating community doctors in the training of medical students through residents. It's special and I just want to be part of it."

So, what does the future hold for Dr. Dyke? His dance card is pretty full at the moment as a full-time physician who also helps train the next generation of physicians. And he and his wife just welcomed their third child, giving them three little ones under age five. But he has given a little thought to the distant future, which may still include UAA. "One of my requirements for retirement is to have access to ongoing education." We may need to introduce him to Dave and Cindy Schraer, retired physicians and UAA supporters who have seized the opportunity to soak up all the non-med school classes they can. We are certainly grateful for all he's doing to further UAA's mission in the present and if our university can pay him back by teaching him to fly a plane or write a compelling memoir, that seems like their neighborly thing to do.