The College of Health Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) Committee was
established to address systemic barriers, promote social justice, and create a culture
of inclusivity that supports the success of all students, staff, and faculty of the
college. Through shared values of respect, accountability, and cultural humility,
as well as our commitment to DEIJ initiatives, we strive to create greater cohesion
across our college to deliver and promote the health and well-being of the communities
we serve.
We acknowledge and honor the ancestral lands of the Dena'ina, Ahtna, Alutiiq/Sugpiaq,
and Eyak/dAXunhyuu Peoples on which the UAA College of Health campus resides in Southcentral
Alaska. We recognize the importance of DEIJ principles, both in our community and
in the ways in which we approach health and well-being. We commit to working in partnership
with Indigenous communities to promote health equity and cultural humility, and to
recognize the unique knowledge and contributions of Indigenous Peoples to health and
holistic healing.
At UAA, computer science Professor Shawn Butler has been using machine learning to debunk COVID-19 misinformation on social media. Butler’s efforts are part of the Division of Population Health Sciences and Department of Journalism and Public Communication’s mission to combat COVID-19 misinformation on public-facing Facebook pages with scientifically accurate information from credited sources through its ongoing Alaska Public Health Information Response Team project.
Founding members of the Alaska Public Health Information Response Team submitted a book chapter proposal, entitled "Addressing Health Misinformation in the Infodemic Era: The Alaska Public Health Information Response Team," in the early spring of 2021 for consideration in a forthcoming book, "Building Health Misinformation Immunity: A Professional's Guide to Helping the Public," which was recently published.
In February 2022, a team at the University of Alaska Anchorage led by Dr. Jennifer Meyer deployed a statewide survey to assess respondents' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to COVID-19 prevention strategies and specifically Long Covid or Post COVID conditions.
On June 30, the Alaska Black Caucus held the Covid & Beyond: Black Health & Wellness Town Hall at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Amana Mbise, Ph.D., an assistant professor with the School of Social Work under the College of Health, presented eye-opening findings from the first-ever Black Alaskans Health Status report.