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.
After serving a year as the President-elect of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Yvonne Chase is now the president. Dr. Chase shares some of her vibrant background in human services that led her to UAA.
Vanessa Hiratsuka from CHD and Britteny Howell from DPHS are the new Co-Directors for UAA’s National Resource Center on Alaska Native Elders. Vanessa Hiratsuka shares her hopes for the center’s future.
Vanessa Hiratsuka from CHD and Britteny Howell from DPHS are the new Co-Directors for UAA’s National Resource Center on Alaska Native Elders. Britteny Howell shares her journey into geriatrics.
Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) term assistant professor Megan Bennett discusses her excitement about teaching courses for the AAS in Speech-Language Pathology Assistant, a new degree option within the SLP program, and being a new faculty member at UAA.
Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation assistant professor, Eric Oba, has no "prob-llama" sharing his passion for teaching therapeutic recreation courses and how he earned the title of Mr. June in the 2023 Mountain Men of Alaska calendar.