Founder, CreativeRhythms

Executive Director for Alaska Native Education & Outreach, Civil Engineering Department Associate Professor

Dr. Michele Yatchemeneff is an Unangax (Aleut) woman who grew up living a traditional subsistence lifestyle in rural villages along Alaska's Aleutian chain. She was an ANSEP scholar at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) where she earned a BS in Civil Engineering in 2005 and an MS in Engineering Management in 2009. After earning her BS, she began working in Alaska's construction and engineering industry, specializing in water and sewer projects in remote villages across the state. She also worked as the Deputy Director of the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP). Professor Yatchmeneff earned her PhD in Engineering Education from Purdue University. Her PhD research focused on the motivation and success of Alaska Native pre-college STEM students. Her current research expands her doctoral work and focuses on belongingess, Alaska Native education, preparation, and retention.  Professor Yatchmeneff started serving as the UAA Executive Director for Alaska Native Education and Outreach in October 2021.

Assistant Professor, School of Social Work

Amana Mbise brings vast experiences in global health (HIV/AIDs and Malaria), refugee integration, and community development in Tanzania, Denmark, and the U.S. His scholarship centers around migration, human trafficking, and health equity. Mbise's ongoing and most recent works include an NIJ study on labor exploitation in Alaska and a Department of State grant to estimate the prevalence of human trafficking and domestic servitude in Tanzania. In collaboration with the Alaska Black Caucus, I led the first health needs assessment of Black Alaskans. The assessment—funded through the Anchorage Health Department—provides the first look at the overarching health status, needs, and strengths of the Black Community of Alaska.

Professor, Master of Public Health Program Chair

Dr. Garcia is a Philippine-born, Alaska-grown Professor of Public Health at University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). He is also the Coordinator of UAA’s Master of Public Health Program. Dr. Garcia was the recipient of the Alaska Public Health Association’s “Short Term Service Award” in 2002 and “The Barbara Berger Excellence in Public Health Award” in 2012. At UAA, Dr. Garcia has been awarded the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Community Service, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Diversity, and the Center for Community Engagement & Learning’s Community Builder Award. Dr. Garcia, along with a group of UAA faculty and students, were awarded the UAA’s Stewardship Award in 2014 and American Lung Association in Alaska’s Breathe Easy Champion Award in 2015 for the group’s successful effort in making the University of Alaska system smoke and tobacco-free. In 2015, Dr. Garcia was appointed as one of the health commissioners of the Anchorage Health Department.