Cheryl Siemers named next KPC director

Dear UAA Community,

I'm writing to announce that Dr. Cheryl Siemers will be the new director of Kenai Peninsula College (KPC).

Siemers currently serves as assistant director of academic affairs at KPC. She formerly served as director of advancement and academic dean at neighboring institution Alaska Christian College.

Siemers has a long-standing commitment to two-year colleges and the diverse communities in which they reside. She has championed and expanded community partnerships, community engagement, multi-disciplinary service-learning and place-based learning while emphasizing the incorporation of local and Indigenous ways of knowing in curriculum development. Siemers has launched initiatives aimed at better preparing students for success, diversifying course delivery modes and expanding access to higher education in Alaska. Additionally, Siemers has served on numerous local and national boards for education.

Siemers earned her Ph.D. in rhetoric and linguistics from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and holds an M.A. in English from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Siemers’ first day as director will be Monday, June 21, 2021.

A special thank you to all those who participated in this recruitment process. I want to express my gratitude to the search committee members as well as Jeff Jessee, dean of the UAA College of Health, and Jeff Laube, associate professor of process technology, for co-chairing this search. Thanks also to members of our campus communities who interacted with the candidates and provided feedback.

I also want to extend best wishes to Gary Turner for his leadership of KPC for the last 19 years. I am grateful for his dedication and service to the college’s faculty, staff and students.

Please join me in warmly congratulating Dr. Siemers.

Sincerely,
Denise Runge
UAA Provost

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