2021 Alaska Health Education Summit

Agenda & Videos

Introduction and Welcome

Alida van Almelo, Summit Coordinator
Alida van Almelo has been the coordinator for the Annual Alaska PreMed Summit (now the Alaska Health Education Summit) for the past five years, though this is WWAMI’s 16th annual summit. She also acts as the pre-med advising coordinator and travel coordinator for the Alaska WWAI School of Medical Education.

Jeff Jessee, Dean, UAA College of Health, Vice Provost, UA Health Programs
Jeff Jessee is a long-time leader in Alaska’s health care and social services sectors. Before leading the College of Health, Jessee served as CEO of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, a state corporation tasked with ensuring that Alaska has a comprehensive integrated mental health program. Prior to this, Jessee served as senior attorney for the Disability Law Center of Alaska. Jessee has served on numerous boards, task forces and committees for organizations including Recover Alaska, the Alaska Resilience Initiative, and 90% By 2020. He is the recipient of the Alaska Psychological Association’s 2016 Cultural Humanitarian Award, the Cook Inlet Tribal Council’s 2015 20-Year Vision and Unit Award, and the 2012 “Going to Bat” Advocacy Award from the National Association for Rural Mental Health.

 

Imposter Phenomenon

Daytheon Sturges, MPAS, PA-C, CAHIMS, CHES
Daytheon Sturges has been a physician assistant (PA) since 2008 and a PA educator since 2013. He is an assistant professor at the University of Washington – MEDEX Northwest PA program, associate program director of regional affairs, justice, equity, diversity, & inclusion, and also serves as the justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion chair for the Department of Family Medicine, while maintaining clinical practice in family medicine within the UW system. His passion is providing care to underserved populations. He serves as the chair of PAEA’s Diversity and Inclusion Mission Advancement Commission, as a Faculty Skills 101 Workshop facilitator, and as the cultural perspectives editor for the Journal of Physician Assistant Education. He is currently embarking upon the dissertation phase for the Ph.D. degree in health studies at Texas Woman's University, where he also completed a post-master’s certificate in interprofessional informatics. His dissertation is studying perceived burnout in underrepresented minority PA educators in the United States in order to inform future health interventions.

 

What if I Don't Get In? Navigating a Competitive Selection Process

Kendra Sticka, Ph.D., RDN
Kendra Sticka is the associate dean of clinical health sciences at UAA. She is a registered dietitian and worked in clinical practice for ten years prior to starting full time at UAA as a faculty member and program director of the Bachelor of Science in dietetics. She is strongly committed to helping students find academic paths that are meaningful to them and supporting them in being successful through that pathway. Sticka is a “home-grown” Alaskan, born and raised in Anchorage.

 

Panel 1

  • Health Physical Education & Recreation, Kinesiology

    T.J. Miller, M.Ed.
    After growing up in Colorado and moving to Alaska in 2002 I found my new home. I have a bachelor’s degree in outdoor recreation leadership and a master’s degree in adult education: curriculum and instruction. I have been an outdoor educator for nearly 20 years. I am a Wilderness Education Association Certified Outdoor Leader, Wilderness First Responder, and avalanche instructor. I have a relentless passion for outdoor pursuits including a son and daughter who enjoy rafting, hiking, skiing, biking and fishing

    Reource:  BS in Kinesiology

  • Dietetics & Nutrition

    Leslie Redmond, Ph.D., MS, RDN, LDN 
    Leslie Redmond is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in kinesiology and a doctorate degree in human nutrition from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is an assistant professor of dietetics and nutrition and her research interests include the promotion of nutrition and physical activity to decrease chronic disease burden in Indigenous populations and sustainable solutions to food insecurity among college students. She completed her dietetic internship at UAA ten years ago and is thrilled to be back in Alaska and teaching within the same program from which she graduated.

    Resources:

  • Dental Hygiene

    Carri Shamburger, MSDH, RDH 
    Greetings from the UAA dental hygiene program!  My name is Carri Shamburger, and I am the program director. I graduated from UAA 30 years ago and was a clinical dental hygienist for several years before becoming an educator. I have a master's degree in dental hygiene from Idaho State University and am currently working on my Ph.D.. I am excited to share information about the dental hygiene program and this profession with you.

    Resource: BS in Dental Hygiene

  • School of Nursing

    Carla Hagan, Ph.D., MPH, RN 
    Carla Hagen is the director of the UAA School of Nursing. Hagen has practiced as a nurse for over 25 years, and has a background in home health care, gerontology, nursing research, nursing education, global health and nursing administration. Her greatest passion in nursing education and nursing administration is to provide a positive learning environment for students, which allows them to gain the knowledge, skills, and attributes to be competent and caring nurses, and in turn serve others. Prior to her nursing career, Hagen spent five years involved in cultural and linguistic work in Southeast Asia. Hagen now enjoys leading nursing student groups to participate in immersive international learning experiences.   

    Angelia Trujillo, DNP, MSN, WHNP-BC, AFN-DF: Program Panels—School of Nursing
    Angelia Trujillo is an associate professor with the UAA School of Nursing. Trujillo has worked in the field of interpersonal violence, sexual assault and public health since 2002. She obtained her Doctor of Nursing Practice with a focus on forensic nursing in 2008 from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, and also holds a master of science in advanced community health nursing from the University of Alaska Anchorage and a Master of Science Nursing as a women’s health nurse practitioner from Frontier Nursing University. Trujillo has served as a forensic nurse examiner for Alaska CARES (2009-2016)—the Anchorage-based child advocacy center working with children who have been physically and sexually abused—and as a program manager and forensic nurse for the Anchorage SART team (2002-2007). In addition, Trujillo is a founding board member for the Academy of Forensic Nursing, has presented at the local, state and national level on issues of interpersonal violence and public health, is the principle developer of Alaska Comprehensive Forensic Training Academy, and is a manuscript reviewer for the Journal of Forensic Nursing.

    Pete Varney, RN, MSN, MBA, CCRN: Program Panels—School of Nursing
    Pete Varney has been a nurse for 16 years, predominantly working in critical care and educational roles. He started his career as a registered nurse, initially earning an associate's degree (ADN), later earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing (BSN and MSN). Varney is currently an assistant professor and the simulation coordinator for the UAA School of Nursing.

    Resources:

 

Panel 2

  • School of Social Work

    Mary Dallas Allen, Ph.D., MSW
    Mary Dallas Allen is an associate professor in the School of Social Work, and she is the Master of Social Work program coordinator. Allen teaches primarily in the MSW program, but she has taught courses in the BSW program. Her social work practice and research interests are in the areas of infant and early childhood mental health and climate change.

    Resources: 

  • Justice Center

    Brad A. Myrstol, Ph.D.
    Brad Myrstol is a criminologist and currently serves as director of the UAA Justice Center. Much of Myrstol’s research, like that of his colleagues in the Justice Center, is at the nexus of public safety and public health: homelessness and criminal justice; substance abuse, behavioral health and crime; sexual and intimate partner violence victimization; and the situational dynamics and outcomes of police–citizen interactions. Myrstol, like many UAA students, is a first-generation university student and a U.S. military veteran (army). When not teaching, conducting research, or doing director “stuff” at UAA, you’re likely to find him at the dog park tossing a ball to his pooch, enjoying Alaska’s outdoors, or attending his kids’ soccer games and other miscellaneous events.

    Resources: 

  • Department of Human Services

    Seta Kabranian-Melkonian, Ph.D., MFA
    Seta Kabranian-Melkonian is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Services and practicum coordinator for the program. She teaches practicum seminar and leads the Human Services Writing Lab. Before moving to the U.S. she led a non-governmental organization to assist victims of war and refugees in her birthplace, Lebanon and Armenia. Her interest remains to be migration due to war and social justice.

    Resources:

  • Division of Population Health Sciences

    Kristin Bogue, M.S.Ed.
    Kristin Bogue is the assistant professor of health sciences and practicum coordinator for the Division of Population Health Sciences with UAA’s College of Health. She has over 10 years of experience in community health education, program and supervisory management, and has an extensive background in academic counseling and workforce development. Bogue's recent focus has been on increasing access to quality inclusive sexual health care and education and professional development among health education specialists in Alaska.

    Resources:

 

Panel 3

  • WWAMI School of Medical Education

    Kathy Young, MD
    Kathy Young is a family physician and the interim director of WWAMI School of Medical Education, Alaska's Medical School. She is also the interim assistant dean of Foundations for the University of Washington School of Medicine. Young attended medical school at Trinity College in Dublin and completed an internship and a year of pediatrics before moving to the United States. She has worked in private practice as a family practice physician in Anchorage since 1998. She joined WWAMI in 2011 to engage in her second passion of teaching.

    Resource: Doctor of Medicine

  • Doctor of Pharmacy

    Tom Wadsworth, PharmD
    Tom Wadsworth is an associate clinical professor at Idaho State University in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences. A native Idahoan, Dr. Wadsworth earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from ISU in 2002 and completed an ASHPiaccredited primary care pharmacy specialty residency at the Boise V.A. Medical Center in 2007. Prior to his residency, Dr. Wadsworth served four years as a clinical pharmacist at the Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center in Fairbanks Alaska. He is a licensed pharmacist in Idaho and Alaska and has significant experience in community and home infusion pharmacy. Along with his faculty appointment, Dr. Wadsworth is a board-certified pharmacotherapist and served as a primary care clinical pharmacist at St. Luke’s Internal Medicine in Boise, Idaho for nine years. In 2015, Wadsworth accepted the position of assistant dean for Alaska programs with the ISU College of Pharmacy and relocated to Anchorage, Alaska. Wadsworth has been integral in establishing ISU’s Doctor of Pharmacy program through a unique collaborative partnership with the University of Alaska.

    Resource: Doctor of Pharmacy

  • MEDEX Physician Assistant Program

    Jenny Fayette, M.Ed, PA-C
    Jenny Fayette is a lifelong Alaskan, born and raised. She is currently a lecturer for University of Washington MEDEX Northwest P.A. Program, while continuing to practice in orthopedic surgery. She acquired her undergrad from Northern Michigan University and went on to study education in Arizona. She started her medical career over 25 years ago as an exercise physiologist in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation for Providence Alaska Medical Center and the U.S. Air Force. She is proud to be a graduate of U.W. MEDEX Anchorage Class 4. She lives in Anchorage with her three teenage boys and spends as many hours outdoors as possible, enjoying this beautiful state!

    Tim Olson, MS, PA-C
    Tim Olson has been a P..A since 2015 and a P.A. educator since 2020. He is currently a lecturer for the University of Washington MEDEX Northwest P.A. program, while continuing to practice in family medicine and urgent care. He earned a B.S. in biomedical science at Grand Valley State University. While earning his degree, he worked in neurological rehabilitation and neonatal intensive care in nearby Grand Rapids. He earned his P.A. education at Rosalind Franklin University and started work in a rural hospital while waiting for opportunities in Alaska. He currently resides in Anchorage and has served on the Alaska State Medical Board. 

    Resource: Master of Clinical Health Services

  • Occupational Therapy

    Cary C. Moore, OTR/L
    Cary Moore is the academic program director for the UAA/Creighton University Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program. Cary has been an occupational therapist for over 20 years with a variety of clinical experience in adult and pediatric settings. Cary's specialty interest areas include: fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, sensory processing disorders, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Cary and her family have enjoyed life in Alaska for 12 years and appreciate the abundance of outdoor activities.

    Resource: Doctor of Occupational Therapy

WWAMI Admissions 

Alternative: Talk to an academic advisor at our Virtual Student Advising Drop-Ins

Stella V. Yee, M.Ed.
Stella Yee is the director of admissions at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Her responsibilities include overseeing the operations of the admissions office, developing policies and procedures, and working closely with the associate dean for admissions to create strategic plans for selection and recruitment. She has given talks about admissions at national and local conferences and previously served on the national AMCAS Advisory Committee from 2014 to 2019. Ms. Yee earned both her bachelor of arts and master's in Education degrees from UW and she is a proud Husky alum.

 

Interview Process: Alaska WWAMI M.D. program

Alternative: Talk to an academic advisor at our Virtual Student Advising Drop-Ins (see below)

Barb Doty, M.D.
Barb Doty is the clinical dean for the University of Washington School of Medicine WWAMI Medical Education Program in Alaska and a WWAMI graduate. Her family medicine practice is based in Wasilla, Alaska, with over 30 years of experience teaching and mentoring health profession students in the Mat-Su and Anchorage area. As clinical dean she oversees the WWAMI medical student clinical training experiences throughout Alaska and works directly with the University of Washington School of Medicine clinical curriculum. She is a member of the UWSOM Admissions Committee and has a particular interest in training and recruiting a quality health care workforce for rural and bush Alaska.

Resouces: Sample Questions & Interview Techniques

 

Study Skills & Learning Strategies

Shannon R. Uffenbeck, Ph.D.
Shannon Uffenbeck is a professor and academic support coordinator for the WWAMI School of Medical Education where she teaches cell physiology to first year medical students in addition to helping students adopt successful learning strategies for both coursework and exam preparation. After starting her undergraduate education at St. Olaf College she finished her degree here at UAA in the Department of Biological Sciences while skiing for the UAA Seawolves. Upon completion of her M.S. degree (also in biological sciences here a UAA) she opted to continue her study of epigenetic changes involved in cellular stress responses by pursuing a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology through UAF. She has spent the last four years helping WWAMI students incorporate evidence-based learning into their own personal study strategies.  

 

Student Advising Virtual Drop-Ins: 1:00pm – 2:30pm

Type of Advising  Advisors and meeting log-in information
Pre-College Student Advising w/ Jennifer Spencer & Shannon Uffenbeck
Undergraduate & Non-Traditional Student Advising

w/ Lynda Hernandez & Ian van Tets