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This Leadership Team Newsletter is published every two weeks by the Dean's Office in the College of Health at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

To submit content, email: slsmith@uaa.alaska.edu
The UAA College of Health advances the health and well being of people and communities
May 11, 2017
Announcements
Reception Honors Retiring COH Leadership Team Members
 
On May 5, a reception honored retiring College of Health faculty and staff leadership team members. Retirees include: Bill Hogan, Dean of the College of Health; Barb Berner, director of the School of Nursing; Beth Sirles, director of the School of Social Work; Robin Wahto, director of School of Allied Health; and Jan Harris, director of the Alaska Center for Rural Health and Health Workforce. The College of Health thanks these great leaders for their outstanding contributions to our college. Also in attendance was the new Dean of the College of Health and Vice-Provost of Health Programs, Jeff Jessee.


 
Welcome Jeff Jessee, New Dean of the College of Health
 
The College of Health welcomes incoming Dean, Jeff Jessee. Mr. Jessee joined the COH on May 2. He has over 35 years of experience in the Alaska health care sector and was formerly the CEO of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. He serves on several boards, task forces, and committees, including the Medicaid Redesign Steering Committee, Criminal Justice Commission, State of Alaska Opioid Task Force, Recover Alaska Steering Committee, Criminal Justice Working Group, and the Foraker Group. Mr. Jessee succeeds current Dean, Bill Hogan who has been Dean of the COH since January 2013 and will retire at the end of June. To read more about Jeff Jessee, visit the Green and Gold: http://greenandgold.uaa.alaska.edu/blog/53137/. Jeff Jessee's office is located in PSB 205, and he can be reached at jeff.jessee@alaska.edu, 786-6057.
 

Mayor's Marathon Needs "Medical Bikers"   

The Mayor's Marathon medical staff is looking for anyone interested in volunteering to work in a first-aid capacity as a "medical biker" on the marathon or half-marathon race courses.
 
Details:
  • Be a Medical Biker along a section of the race course. Must provide your own bicycle.
  • Medical experience preferred (e.g., FA/CPR certification, EMT, nurses, medics, doctors), but not required.
  • Volunteer time is approximately 2-6 hours.
  • First-aid kits provided plus a free T-shirt.
Please email Michael Dhesse at mfdhesse@alaska.edu if you are interested. Learn more about the 2017 Mayor's Marathon at GoSeawolves.com.
 
Unit Updates
Center for Human Development - - - - - - - - - - -
 
CHD Workshops a Success at School on Addictions and Behavioral Health Conference
 
Eric Boyer shares information on ECHO TABI (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, Traumatic & Acquired Brain Injury).
UAA Center for Human Development (CHD), Alaska Training Cooperative (AKTC) provided training on a wide range of topics at the recent 43rd Annual School on Addictions and Behavioral Health gathering in Anchorage. The conference, led by the Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor Training (RADACT) program, brought together some 450 professionals from throughout Alaska to address emerging trends in treatment. CHD workshop presentations included "Traumatic Brain Injury: Better Understanding Means Better Care" by Eric Boyer, BS, and Danielle Reed, MBA, MS; a two-part workshop on the evidence-based practice Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) by Sarah McConnell, LCSW; and a two-part workshop "Traditional Health Based Practices in Recovery from Addiction" by AKTC collaborators Doug Modig, Tsimshian Elder, and Meda DeWitt, Tlingit Traditional Healer, with AKTC's Sarah McConnell, LCSW.
 
Rain Van Den Berg Presents Poster at IHA Health Literacy Conference, Furthers Health Literacy
 
Rain Van Den Berg, MPH, LEND Training Coordinator with the UAA Center for Human Development recently presented a poster at the Institute for Health Care Advancement (IHA) Health Literacy Conference in Irvine, CA. Rain serves as a core member of The Anchorage Health Literacy Consortium (TAHLC), a group including Providence Medical Center, The Alaska Literacy Program, UAA Department of Health Sciences, Anchorage Neighborhood Health, YWCA, and many others. TAHLC members participate in ongoing projects to improve health literacy in Alaska, as well as offer a Health Literacy conference every two years. This year, Rain was the recipient of the Leonard Doak scholarship that supports an Alaskan each year to attend IHA. She presented on the use of interactive adult learning principles in the interdisciplinary 2016 Health Literacy conference plenary session.
 
 
Justice Center  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Congratulations to 2017 Justice and Legal Studies Grads!
 
Join us in congratulating our 2017 UAA Justice Center graduates! This year, 31 students earned a degree in Justice, 15 with honors having a GPA of 3.5 or above. A dozen students graduated in the Legal Studies program, three with honors. We are very proud of our students and their accomplishments. Best wishes on their future success!

 
Justice faculty: (l-r)  Dr. Brad Myrstol, Prof. Deborah Periman, Dr. Ron Everett, Dr. Marny Rivera, Dr. Cory Lepage, Dr. Allan Barnes, Prof. Kristin Knudsen, Dr. Andre Rosay, and Dr. Sharon Chamard (Not pictured: Prof. Ryan Fortson)
 
US District Judge Sharon Gleason Provides Feedback to Students
 
US District Judge Sharon Gleason , the first female federal judge for the District of Alaska, listened to oral arguments by students in Prof. Ryan Fortson's Trial and Advanced Litigation Processes (LEGL A487) final exam on May 5. The students had drafted a legal memorandum of law and proposed order (similar to a pleading which would be filed in court) on a hypothetical motion before the court and defended their briefing to Judge Gleason, who provided feedback.
 
Dr. Rosay Appears on Frontiers Episode Highlighting Choose Respect Campaign
 
Dr. Andre Rosay , Justice Center director, appeared on KTVA's "Frontiers" with Rhonda McBride to talk about results from the 
2015 Alaska Victimization Survey for which he is principal investigator. He talked about how rates of domestic violence and sexual assault have gone down since the 2010 survey, but that they are still very high in Alaska. The Frontiers episode highlighted how Old Harbor in Kodiak is addressing domestic violence and sexual assault by embracing the Choose Respect Campaign begun by Gov. Sean Parnell. For more information, and to watch the video, visit: http://uaajusticecenter.blogspot.com/2017/05/dr-rosay-appears-on-frontiers-episode.html.  
 
Need to Break the Silence Continues beyond April
 
Justice Club wraps up "Breaking the Silence" event during April Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Every Tuesday and Thursday in April, club members provided an opportunity for people to share their words or story to raise awareness and break the silence about sexual assault. To see video coverage of this event by KTBY, visit: http://uaajusticecenter.blogspot.com/2017/04/need-to-break-silence-continues-beyond.html.

 
Justice Club member Joseph Mizel interviewed by KTBY Fox 4 reporter about "Breaking the Silence."
 
Dr. Barnes Demonstrates New Online Crime Data Platform
  
Dr. Allan Barnes,   Justice faculty, demonstrated how to use the Anchorage Police Department's new online crime data platform at Russian Jack Rotary's weekly meeting. He also discussed the recent apparent rise in violent crime in Anchorage and distributed the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center's (AJSAC) Fact Sheets on violent and property crime in Alaska. He concluded his presentation with an online demonstration of how Rotarians could establish a Neighborhood Crime Watch. UAA Chancellor Tom Case was among Rotarians present for Dr. Barnes' presentation.

Calendar
Upcoming Events/Deadlines
  • May 11 - Leadership team meeting
  • May 13 - UAFT & UNAC notification from faculty planning to stand for promotion and tenure, list of external reviewers due to dean
  • May 25 - Leadership team meeting
  • May 29 - Memorial Day Holiday
  • June 15 - Leadership team meeting; Fall 2017 admissions applications due
  • June 29 - Leadership team meeting ; Summer 2017, Second 5-week session, first day of classes
  • July 3-4 - Independence Day holiday
  • August 17 - All-College meeting, 11 am - 2 pm (tentative)
  • August 28 - First day of classes, Fall Semester
  • September 4 - Labor Day Holiday