Agenda & Speaker Bios

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Introduction and Welcome

10:00-10:45 AM

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 six years, though this is WWAMI’s 17th annual summit. She also acts as the pre-med advising coordinator and travel coordinator for the Alaska WWAMI School of Medical Education.

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.

Seeing Your Career Journey Through a Growth Mindset

10:45-11:30 AM

Shannon Uffenbeck, Ph.D.
Dr. 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. Dr. Uffenbeck has spent the last four years helping prospective WWAMI students strategize their personal journey to becoming a physician.

Program Panel #1

11:30 - 11:50 AM

• 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.

• 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. Visit the UAA-ISU Doctor of Pharmacy Website.

• Occupational Therapy
  Merrik Brown, OTS, LSVT-BIG certified
  Merrik Brown is an occupational therapy doctoral student with a focus on culturally-responsive care and will be working at Providence come June. She is a life-long Alaskan with a professional passion for rural health and providing healthcare to underserved communities. Visit the UAA/Creighting Occupational Therapy Program website.
  
• MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program

  Teresa M F Lowe, PA-C
  Teresa Lowe is a Lecturer for the University of Washington Medex Northwest Physician Assistant Training Program. She received her undergraduate degree from UAF in 2003 and completed Medex PA training in 2005. She is originally from Mountain Village and now resides in Anchorage with her family. As someone who is passionate about helping others, she strongly supports students who are interested in the health professions.
  

Interactive Scenario—Young Child with a Cough

11:50 AM - Noon

There is an 8-year-old child with a cough, and they need your help! Guided by various health professionals, learn about the array of roles in helping the child.

Program Panel #2

12:00 - 12:20 PM

• Alaska Center for Rural Health and Health Workforce

  Ian McCarthy
  Ian is an Education Coordinator for Alaska’s AHEC. He leads programming from high school healthcare career exploration camps to the Rising Scholars program for college students interested in pursuing healthcare with undecided majors. He graduated from Carleton College with a BA in Chemistry. As a past premed student and past medical assistant, insight and experience inform his program development and motivate him to make the healthcare field more representative and locally-informed. Visit the Alaska Center for Rural Health and Health Workorce website.

• 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.
• 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.

• School of Social Work
  Mary Dallas Allen, Ph.D., MSW
  Mary Dallas Allen is a 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.

Interactive Scenario-Elderly Man with Chest Pain

12:20 - 12:30 PM

An elderly man is having chest pains and he needs your help! Guided by various health professionals, learn about the array of roles in resolving the situation.

Program Panel #3

12:30-12:50 PM

• Medical Laboratory Science

  Grace Leu-Burke
  Bio coming soon. Visit the Medical Laboratory Science department page.

• Medical Assisting

  Lisa Nash, M.Ed., CMA (AAMA)
  Lisa Nash is the Program Director for the Medical Assisting Program which includes Medical Office Coding. She is a Certified Medical Assistant through the American Association of Medical Assistants. The CMA (AAMA)® is the only medical assisting certification that requires graduation from an accredited postsecondary medical assisting program. Lisa practiced in Naknek Alaska during fishing season when the small town explodes from approximately 800 to over 10,000. Her passion for patient care provides the foundation for the individualized attention she pays to each and every student in the Program as they develop their unique career path.

• HPER Kineseology

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

• Dietetics
  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 currently an Assistant Professor of Dietetics and Nutrition at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where 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 teaches Nutrition for Health Sciences, Sports Nutrition, and Advanced Nutrition.

Interactive Scenario-Mountain Biking Accident

12:50 - 1:00 PM

There’s been a mountain biking accident, and your help is needed! Guided by various health professionals, learn about the array of roles in helping the injured biker.

Q&A and Brain Break

1:00 - 1:15 PM

A Broad Look at UAA's School of Nursing

1:15 - 1:40 PM

• Undergraduate Nursing

  Dr. Margie Mete, MS, MPH, RN
  Margie Mete has been a Registered Nurse for 40 years and a faculty member of the UAA School of Nursing since 2002 in the Associate Degree program at the Kodiak community site. She is currently facilitating the transition of the Kodiak community site to the Baccalaureate Nursing degree. Mete is currently completing a Ph.D. in Indigenous Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks focusing on the specialty areas of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Indigenous Education/Pedagogy. Her research focus is "Exploring Indigenous Holistic Healing Practices: Identifying Connections with Nature and Spirit to Enable Providers to Meet the Healthcare Needs of Indigenous People."
  

• Graduate Nursing

  Dr. Jessy Fry & Dr. Morgan Brissette
  Bios coming soon. Visit the UAA School of Nursing website. 

AHEC and AHEC Scholars

1:30 - 2:00 PM

Who do you want to serve as a healthcare worker? The AHEC/Rising Scholar programs provide opportunities for travel, shadowing, and more so that you can engage difficult questions including: what does it feel like to provide healthcare in rural Alaska, or what does it means for me to care for medically underserved populations who face discrimination and access barriers? Visit the Alaska Center for Rural Health and Health Workorce website.

Ian McCarthy
Ian is an Education Coordinator for Alaska’s AHEC. He leads programming from high school healthcare career exploration camps to the Rising Scholars program for college students interested in pursuing healthcare with undecided majors. He graduated from Carleton College with a BA in Chemistry. As a past premed student and past medical assistant, insight and experience inform his program development and motivate him to make the healthcare field more representative and locally-informed.

Spencer Toft
Spencer Toft is an Education Coordinator for Alaska’s AHEC. He is in charge of the AHEC Scholars program, a program designed to give graduate healthcare students opportunities to gain experience working in rural Alaska. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS in Community Health. Spencer has experience creating and maintaining programs both in the United States as well as abroad. As a relatively new Alaskan, he looks forward to continuing the effort to improve the quality and accessibility to healthcare around our beautiful state.

Advising Breakout Rooms

2:00 - 2:30 PM

• High School Students

  Cary Brown, MPA
  Cary Brown is a Senior Academic advisor for the UAA College of Health Student Success Center.

• Undergraduate Studenta

  Lynda Hernandez
  Lynda is the director of the UAA College of Health Student Success Center. As a lifelong Alaskan, Lynda has spent the entirety of her professional career working in health programs at UAA. Hernandez started her career in student services working with a high school summer program for youth interested in health careers. Since then, she has been committed to promoting the educational opportunities for students interested in health and social service careers.

• Non-Traditional Students
  Dr. Ian van Tets, PhD
  Dr. Tets is an Associate Professor in the UAA Department of Biological Sciences.
• Advisors and Counselors
  Dr. Shannon Uffenbeck 
  Dr. 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. Dr. Uffenbeck has spent the last four years helping prospective WWAMI students strategize their personal journey to becoming a physician.

Bonus Topic: WWAMI Admissions, Stella Yee, M.Ed., Director Of Admissions

2:30 - 3:00 PM

Stella Yee, M.Ed., Director Of Admissions
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.