In This Issue
Quick Links
About this Newsletter
The College of Health Newsletter is published every two weeks by the UAA COH Dean's Office.

To submit content, email: slsmith@alaska.edu
Mission Statement ~ ~ ~
Advancing the health and well-being of people and communities
May 17, 2018
COH News
Bike to Work Day Friday, May 18
 
Don't be caught behind a steering wheel on Anchorage's Bike to Work Day! All UAA employees are invited to participate. Visit the Bike to Work Day website for more information or to register: https://www.muni.org/Departments/health/Admin/environment/AirQ/Pages/biketoworkday.aspx . If you register on AK Link, be sure to join the UAA network. Contact UAA's team captain Ryan Buchholdt for questions: rcbuchholdt@uaa.alaska.edu .
 
The HPER department will be hosting a treat station at Goose Lake park from 6-9 AM (on the Goose Lake trail near Northern Lights Blvd. where it intersects the Chester Creek Trail overpass). There will also be a BBQ in the Cuddy Quad from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM for participants. Just bring your helmet for a free meal.
 
Congratulations to COH Faculty Who Earned Promotions!
 
The College of Health congratulates all faculty who were recently promoted and awarded tenure. Jo Ann Bartley and Lynn Paterna were promoted to Associate Professor of Human Services with tenure. Pam Grogan, Lisa Jackson, Colleen Kelley, and Dorothy Kinley were promoted to Associate Professor of Nursing with tenure. Kathy Stephenson was promoted to Professor of Nursing. We thank each of them for their hard work to advance the health and well-being of people and communities. We are proud of their activities and accomplishments.

Junior Health Professions Academy Graduates Third Cohort
 
The UAA College of Health congratulates the participants of the 2017-18 Junior Health Professions Academy, a partnership with the Anchorage School District and Clark Middle School's Pre-Medical Academy. This completes the third cohort of Clark students to graduate the program, which consists of eight health professions learning sessions through the fall and spring semesters. UAA staff and faculty volunteers, as well as health practitioners from the Anchorage community, facilitated the sessions. This year, we were excited to accept two students from Mears and Central Middle Schools. In addition, academy participants participated in the Anchorage Youth Summit Explosion sponsored by Shiloh Community Development, held April 28 at Clark Middle School as a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King. If interested in volunteering with the academy in 2018-19, please contact Carey D. Brown at 907-786-4417.

 

Thank you to the following volunteers: Dr. Cynthia Booher and Daniel Booher, UAA School of Nursing; Lita A. Preston, UAA Diagnostic Medical Sonography; Dr. Christopher Gay, Pain Management and Anesthesiology; Dr. Anne Musser; Dr. LeeAnne Carrothers, UAA Physical Therapist Assistant Program; Kelly Brewer, Speech Language Pathologist; Dr. Richard Luff; Cynthia Armstrong, UAA School of Allied Health; and Marissa Beninati and Ryan Shercliffe, UAA COH Simulation Center. In addition, special thanks to the College of Health Dean's Office, the Anchorage School District, Clark Middle School, and all of our volunteers for their support.


Junior Health Professions Academy Receives Spirit Award
 
On April 25, the College of Health and its Junior Health Professions Academy were honored with the coveted Spirit of Tomorrow Award. The Anchorage School District's School Business Partnership program honors businesses, organizations, educators, and students for their outstanding involvement with the School Business Partnership program and their commitment to further educate and connect tomorrow's leaders. A luncheon was held at the Dena'ina Convention Center in downtown Anchorage. The Junior Health Professions Academy received the nomination for this award from Clark Middle School teachers and counselors, academy participants and their parents, and the Clark Middle School principal.

 
Unit Updates
Dental Hygiene Program - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Alaska Cares: UAA Dental Days Provides Free Dental Services
 
The UAA Dental Programs, Alaska State Dental Hygienists' Association, Alaska Dental Society, and Alaska Dental Action Coalition joined together for the last eight years to plan, develop, and execute a dental event providing two days of free dental services for residents uninsured and without access to treatment in the Anchorage area. UAA faculty, staff, and students, along with community volunteers, provided services for these events. After refining processes learned throughout the years, the program has successfully increased the number of patients and services at each of the subsequent events. On March 22-23, 170 patients received approximately $135,000 in treatment services. UAA now offers a site for donations to ensure the program will continue as a yearly, sustainable event.

 
Interprofessional Health Sciences Simulation Center - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 
RFAs Now Open for Interprofessional Enrichment Events
 
The COH Center for Interprofessional Health Education is excited to share an opportunity to expand and enhance Interprofessional Education (IPE) offerings at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Do you have ideas on ways to bring students from a variety of health disciplines together? Have you been thinking about a course that would be well-suited for a wide array of health professions students to take part in together? Requests for Applications (RFAs) are now open through August 27 to support faculty development of COHI prefixed courses or Interprofessional enrichment events. Please refer to the documents below for more information. Or contact Ryan Shercliffe, rmshercliffe@alaska.edu.
Medical Laboratory Science - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 
MLS Student Research Receives Honorable Mention in Student Showcase
 
Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) students Lesly Mislang, Lesley Garcia, Rachel Sanders, Amanda Olson, and Dong Won Yu conducted an independent research project titled "But is it really clean? A microscopic perspective of the UAA public bathrooms." Their research, which examined exposure risk to environmental bacteria, won Honorable Mention at the UAA Student Showcase and was presented orally April 20 at the Alaska Clinical Laboratory Scientists Annual Conference. Representing active undergraduate research in the School of Allied Health, these MLS students were also selected to present their scientific poster at the UAA Undergraduate Research and Discovery Symposium. Thank you to the students and the Medical Laboratory Science faculty who work to encourage critical thinking and professionalism in Alaska's next generation of laboratory scientists.

Image credit: Grace Leu Burke.
Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program - - - -
 
OTD Program Holds Spring Banquet
 
The end of the year partnership program between Creighton University and the UAA Doctor of Occupational Therapy held their spring banquet on April 27. Over 70 students, family, friends, and faculty joined to recognize the many successes over the year and announce the clinical placements of the OTD3, Class of 2019. Many good wishes and fond memories made with more to come.

 
Department of Health Sciences - - - - - - - - - - - -
 
Spring/Summer 2018 MPH Graduates Attend Hooding Ceremony
(l-r) Jess Dougherty, Niki Nowlton, Tara Stiller, and Lori Price
 
Congratulations to the 2018 Master of Public Health (MPH) graduates who took part in the hooding ceremony on May 5 (see photo, right). The following students earned their MPH degree this spring: Cate Burton, Tara Stiller, and Niki Knowlton. Summer graduates will include: Brian Lefferts, Sara Conyers, Jessie Doherty, Dean Gustafson, Lori Price, and Morgan Erisman. 
    
BSHS Students Complete Practica
 
Ten Health Education students in the BSHS program completed practica this semester. Community partners included the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC); the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program with the Municipality of Anchorage; Storyworks Alaska; Healthy Futures; Special Olympics Alaska; the Alaska Office of Boating Safety; Anchorage School District; Job Corps; Southcentral Foundation; and the Diabetes Prevention Program at the YMCA. Students gained first-hand professional experience in health education, translating classroom knowledge into action in service to their communities.


Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium 
Center for Human Development - - - - - - - - - - - -

LynnAnn Tew and Advocates Present at Radiologic Technologists Conference
 
On April 28, self-advocates Chad Niewendorp and Logan Turner co-presented "Partners in Health: Communicating with Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)" at the Alaska Society of Radiologic Technologists Conference in Girdwood, along with Center for Human Development researcher LynnAnn Tew. The LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) program co-developed the training materials for healthcare providers as part of a four-year WITH Foundation grant. The training is part of a larger focus of CHD on reducing health disparities for people with IDD, and is significant because self-advocates co-train with health professionals to educate other health professionals. Chad and Logan also participated in a panel presentation at the Providence Hospital's Culture and Diversity Lunch & Learn in March. CHD is one of 67 National Centers of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities, and part of the AUCD network.
 
Alaska Training Cooperative Completes Distance Delivery Course for Third Year
 
The Center for Human Development, Alaska Training Cooperative's (AKTC) distance delivered Traditional Health Based Practices (THBP) class recently completed three years of delivery by providing 19 class sessions serving nearly 300 members of the Alaska workforce. Meda DeWitt, Tlingit, Traditional Healer, leads the training team with Doug Modig, Tsimshian Elder, and AKTC's Sarah McConnell, LCSW. The 8-hour class is approved to meet requirements for the Alaska Commission on Behavioral Health Certification and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium's Community Health Aide Program Review Board, and is approved for Continuing Education (CE) credit by the State of Alaska's Board of Examiners for both Licensed Professional Counselors and for Social Workers as "Cross Cultural: Alaska Native Specific." The THBP training models intercultural partnerships, provides an overview of Alaska Native cultures, pre-contact and contemporary cultural health based practices, and encourages increased access to culturally specific services and supports. We deeply appreciate our partnership with these culture bearers. For more information, please contact: Sarah McConnell, ssmcconnell@alaska.edu or 907-456-4215. 

Justice Center - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 
Congratulations 2018 Justice Center Graduates!
 
Join us in congratulating the 33 students who are receiving a degree or certificate in Justice Center programs. Nineteen students are graduating with degrees in the Justice Program, 18 have earned a B.A. in Justice and one student is receiving a minor in Justice. In the Legal Studies Program, nine students have earned a B.A. in Legal Studies, one student is receiving a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Legal Nurse Consultant Paralegal, two students are receiving a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Paralegal Studies, and two are receiving a minor in Legal Studies, for a total of 14 degrees completed in Legal Studies. For more information, visit: https://uaajusticecenter.blogspot.com/2018/05/congratulations-2018-justice-center.html.

 
UAA Justice faculty members congratulate 2018 Justice Center grads!
 
Mackenzie Gilpin and Mark Turberville Complete Independent Studies
 
(l-r) Mackenzie Gilpin, Prof. Ryan Fortson,
and Mark Turberville
.
Mackenzie Gilpin, BA in Legal Studies 2018, and Mark Turberville Post-Baccalaureate in Paralegal Studies 2018, completed semester-long independent studies with Prof. Ryan Fortson--with editorial support from Prof. Kristin Knudsen, Legal Studies Coordinator.
Mackenzie's paper was titled "Mental Health and Substance Abuse Among Attorneys." Mark's paper was titled "Locational Privacy in the Data Age in Conflict with the Third-Party Doctrine"--the subject of Carpenter v. United States, currently before the United States Supreme Court. Both students presented powerpoints of their work on May 2. For more information, and to download the presentations, visit: https://uaajusticecenter.blogspot.com/2018/05/student-independent-study-mental.html
 
AVS Data Used During Sexual Assault Awareness Month Throughout Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, data from the  2015 Alaska Victimization Survey (AVS) was used to remind Alaskans of the need to "break the cycle of violence" in our state. From Dillingham, to Seward, to the Mat-Su, communities are using AVS data to remind Alaskans of the need to "Choose Respect" and "do better," not just in April, but year round.
 
Brandeis article cited in Rolling Stone Guide to Legal Pot

As part of a state-by-state guide to marijuana legalization, the article "The Rolling Stone Guide to Legal Pot: Alaska" by Zacharia Hughes provides an overview of the unique challenges that have come with legalization and commercialization of marijuana in Alaska. The article cites Justice Center faculty Jason Brandeis' 2012 Alaska Law Review article on Ravin v. State to provide the background on Alaska's marijuana history, in particular the personal-use marijuana law based on Alaska's Constitutional right to privacy.    
 
Maude Blair Speaks with Prof. Fortson's Students
 
On April 17, Maude Blair, legal counsel with the Southcentral Foundation, spoke to Prof. Ryan Fortson's Tribal Courts and Alaska Native Rights course (JUST/LEGL485) about Alaska Native governmental organizations. In addition to her current work, Ms. Blair is a past Vice President of the Alaska Federation of Natives and has been legal counsel to the NANA Development Corp.  
 
Prof. Fortson Organizes High School Mock Trial Competition

The 2018  Alaska High School Mock Trial Competition, organized by Prof. Ryan Fortson in conjunction with the Young Lawyers Section of the Anchorage Bar Association, was held on April 6-7 in the Boney Courthouse in Anchorage. Seven teams of 6-9 students from around Alaska competed in multiple rounds of simulated trials. Students played the roles of both attorneys and witnesses and were evaluated by panels of local attorneys. For more information, visit: https://uaajusticecenter.blogspot.com/2018/04/prof-fortson-organizes-high-school-mock.html.
 
Alumni Magazine Spotlights AJiC as Resource for Alaska

In the latest issue of  Alumni Spirit, Alaska Governor Bill Walker commented on how the Alaska Justice Information Center (AJiC), as well as other research entities at the university, are an important resource for Alaska's policy and decision makers. Governor Walker stated, "Entities like UAA's Institute of Social and Economic Research and the Alaska Justice Information Center have been resources for my administration. We continue to look for ways to use the talent at the university to build a safer, stronger and smarter Alaska."

Calendar
Upcoming Events/Deadlines
  • May 21 - Summer 2018: First 5-wk session, first day of classes
  • May 28 - Memorial Day Holiday
  • June 27 - Summer 2018: Second 5-wk session, first day of classes
  • June 28 - Grades due for first 5-week session
  • July 4-5 - Independence Day Holiday
  • August 8 - Grades due for 10-week session and second 5-week session
  • September 3 - Labor Day Holiday