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.
This summer, high school students in the Della Keats Program, administered by UAA’s WWAMI School of Medical Education, spent four immersive weeks at UAA's Anchorage campus, engaging in health science coursework and experiencing residential life.
The Della Keats program introduces students from all parts of Alaska to college courses, dorm life and big-city educational opportunities specific to health-science.
Students at the statewide HOSA - Future Health Professionals Leadership Conference participated in competitions showcasing their instructional knowledge in physical therapy, dental science, nurse assistant, sports medicine, forensics, vet science, and phlebotomy.
UAA alumna and associate professor Holly Martinson hopes the new Biomed U-RISE program "lights a fire" in Alaska's research community by empowering undergraduate students with lab experience, mentorship and financial assistance. Martinson and co-PI, Professor Tracey Burke, welcomed the first cohort this academic year and will soon open applications for cohort two.