UAA faculty receive a range of commendations in October

by Matt Jardin | October 27, 2020

YWCA Alaska announced its 2020 Women of Achievement awardees, which include three women affiliated with UAA: Paola Banchero, associate professor of journalism and public communications; Renee Carter-Chapman, recently retired senior vice provost; and Panigkaq Agatha John-Shields, assistant professor of indigenous education and educational leadership.

Paola Banchero, associate professor of journalism and public communications

Renee Carter-Chapman, recently retired senior vice provost

Panigkaq Agatha John-Shields, assistant professor of indigenous education and educational leadership

The leadership of these women and their commitment to service align with the mission of YWCA Alaska, which is to eliminate racism, empower women and girls, promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. These amazing women represent the best of Alaska and are deserving of this honor and recognition.

YWCA Alaska will host the 31st annual Women of Achievement and Youth Awards during the week of Nov. 2-6. This will be a virtual event designed to celebrate these 10 phenomenal women and five incredible youth.

David Stevenson, professor and director of the Creative Writing and Literary Arts program

Supporters of writers, literacy and education are winners of the 2020 Contributions to Literacy in Alaska (CLIA) awards, announced by the Alaska Center for the Book. This year's awardees include two with a UAA faculty connection: David Stevenson, professor and director of the Creative Writing and Literary Arts program; and the late Phyllis Fast, professor emerita of anthropology and Alaska Native studies.

Alaska Center for the Book is Alaska’s liaison with the U.S. Library of Congress Center for the Book. Since 1993, the CLIA awards have honored more than 90 people and programs from across the state for significant contributions in literacy, the literary arts or the preservation of the written and spoken word. This year's awards were presented virtually as part of Alaska Book Week, Oct. 4-10.

Major General Randy “Church” Kee, executive director of UAA’s Arctic Domain Awareness Center — Major General Randy “Church” Kee, ADAC executive director

The White House Office of the Press Secretary announced on Oct. 7, President Donald Trump’s intent to appoint three individuals to key administration posts. Among those new appointees is Major General Randy “Church” Kee to be a member of the Arctic Research Commission.

Kee currently serves as executive director of UAA’s Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC), a Department of Homeland Security Center for Excellence "committed to supporting Polar Operations through research, education and outreach that advances safety, security and the public good."

UPDATE: On Nov. 10, 2020, Kee's appointment to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission was formalized by the president.

UAA’s Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) received the 2020 Education Award from the Association of Village Council Presidents, for which ANSEP vice provost Herb Schroeder received special commendation from Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski.

This prestigious award is a testament to the respect and appreciation ANSEP has earned for its dedication to creating opportunities for Alaska Native students during the COVID-19 pandemic and time of social distancing.

Sherry Simpson, professor of the Creative Writing and Literary Arts program

As we consider the achievements of UAA faculty, we want to pause to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Creative Writing and Literary Arts professor Sherry Simpson who passed away unexpectedly. Through her writing, Simpson explored the ways people use nature, wilderness, animals and cultural icons to define themselves and understand the world. She grew up in Juneau and attended UAF, where she studied biology and journalism. Before earning an M.F.A., she worked as a reporter for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, the Juneau Empire and KTOO-FM public radio, as well as contributed to various publications throughout Alaska, Washington and California. Among her awards are the Chinook Literary Prize from Sasquatch Books for her first collection of essays, The Way Winter Comes: Alaska Stories; the Andres Berger Nonfiction Award; the Sierra magazine Nature Writing Contest; the Ben Franklin award in the essay/photographic category for Glacier Bay National Park; and numerous reporting awards from the Alaska Press Club and the Northwest Regional Society of Professional Journalists.

“Sherry Simpson was a brilliant writer, beloved friend, and mentor to a generation of Alaska writers,” writes David Stevenson, professor and director of the Creative Writing and Literary Arts program. “She strove to teach her students to trust their instincts, question their ideas, and take themselves seriously. She was passionately devoted to her students, as they were to her. The sudden news of her passing elicited an outpouring of grief from family, friends, students, and colleagues. Many have taken to the web to post online tributes, all of which share a common theme: ‘Sherry Simpson changed my life.’ Sherry possessed a self-deprecating sense of humor, rare intelligence, and unbound generosity. We will miss her greatly. She left one large empty pair of Xtratufs to fill. We won’t be able to, but we owe it to her to try.”