UAA

In response to an overwhelming number of inquiries regarding Marko Cheseto, a restricted fund has been established here at the University of Alaska Anchorage athletics department in support of him. This fund will consist of private donations only and no state monies will be used for this fund. Read more.

On Thursday, Nov. 3 in the Student Union Cafeteria, students, staff, faculty and members of the public enjoyed a delicious lunch of Native foods. The program was moderated by Dr. Maria Williams, Director of Alaska Native Studies. Marilyn Balluta gave the Dena'ina Blessing followed by remarks from UAA Chancellor Tom Case, a special message from the CIRI President and CEO Margaret L. Brown, and UAA student leaders, Polly Andrews and Warren Jones. The Native Student Council hosted a wonderful Native Dress Review, followed by a performance from the Sivuqaq Dancers. Click for larger view.

UAA has recently consolidated all its medical programs into the College of Health, a statewide health university. The UAA Health Sciences Building is all about new sophisticated simulation labs so that health professionals with varying expertise can practice together in simulation, rather than in the real ER. Here's a video of a simulation in action. Click for larger view.

Anchorage campus student body president Ryan Buchholdt was recently selected to travel to Russia in November as part of the Kremlin Fellows program. Ryan is one of 15 student leaders nationwide selected to participate in this prestigious opportunity. Read more.

Bradford Jackson, 23, seems born to the stage. For one thing, he’s deftly tuned to his acting passion. Like a sponge greedily soaking up water, or a wild animal listening keenly for the sounds of danger, Jackson’s antennae are constantly up, constantly extracting the essence of some detail he can apply toward shaping himself as an actor. Read more.

At 36,000 feet, Wifi converts our airline seats to remote offices. It lets us read email in airports, watch video in coffee shops and listen to music at home. Wifi is everywhere. But where did it come from? Wifi pioneer Dr. Alex Hills takes us back to when the Internet was first gaining popularity, email took 10 minutes to load up and cell phones were big and unwieldy. But he had a vision: people carrying small handheld devices that were always connected. Read more.

For the past three years, nursing student and UAA athlete Ruth Keino from Kenya has been running her heart out for the Seawolf cross-country and track & field teams. Even though she’s been running since elementary school, it never occurred to her that running could become a passport to her future. “Running was an ability that was there,” she says, “I didn't know it would take me somewhere." That somewhere was Alaska. Read more.

Wall Street salaries. The housing bubble. Decline of the middle class. We live in interesting financial times, and a local reading program hopes to engage Alaskans in examining where we’ve been and where we’re going with the UAA/APU Books of the Year. More on two upcoming events.

The UAA Alumni Association will honor alums Eric Wohlforth, Joan Fisher and Dan Bigley at its upcoming Green and Gold Gala in Anchorage on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, at the Hotel Captain Cook. The Green and Gold Gala will bring together alumni, friends and the community in support of UAA. The elegant ‘black tie' event will help kick off Homecoming Week at UAA and will celebrate achievements of alumni, showcase University success and raise important UAA scholarship support. More on the honorees.

Barb Mee, long time Alaska staffer for Senator Ted Stevens, will discuss her recent book "Senator Ted and Mee" on Monday, September 12 at 12:30 pm at the UAA Campus Book Store. Click for more details.

Poet Linda McCarriston is Full Professor in the Low-Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing at UAA . She is known for being an outspoken poet and the author of three works of poetry: Talking Soft Dutch; Eva Mary; and Little River. Click for the videos.