Keep the Hang, Not the Hangover: UAA hosts day of conversation about alcohol and college life Oct. 16

"Keep the Hang, Not the Hangover: A day of conversation on alcohol and college life” on October 16 invites students to join in three conversations on alcohol use and misuse, experiences and campus resources for recovery, and shared responsibility in responding to alcohol misuse and its related harms.

• Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2018
• Time: 10 AM – 2 PM
• Place: UAA/APU Consortium Library, LIB 307
• Admission: Free for all UAA and Anchorage community members
• Registration: Register for one, two, or all three conversations through this link or follow the individual links below. The three conversations can be attended in full or individually.
• Parking: Free parking in Library Lot

The event is sponsored by the UAA College of Health, the UAA Alcohol, Drug and Wellness Education Program, and Recover Alaska.

You Good, Bro? — 10:00 AM

Register at yougoodbro.eventbrite.com. — This conversation will explore the spectrum of alcohol misuse and give participants the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding into their own relationship to alcohol. We will look at the current conversation around alcohol use and misuse and discuss topics ranging from social norms to the stress of transitions.

Sober is the New Drunk — 11:30 AM (lunch included)

Register at soberisthenewdrunk.eventbrite.com. — A session focusing on the resources available to students on campus Recovering students and on-campus student supports will be invited to participate in a panel. Discussion will be guided around questions about alcohol abuse and recovery.

Designated: Responsibility and Consumption — 12:30 PM

Register at designated.eventbrite.com. — Join us as we discuss individual and communal responsibility, talk about bystander intervention and look at ways to increase our collective sense of responsibility around impaired driving, interpersonal violence, mental health, and excessive alcohol consumption.

Rosay appointed associate dean in College of Health, Myrstol interim Justice Center director

Dr. Andre Rosay, newly
appointed associate dean
for academic and student affairs
in the College of Health

Dr. Brad Myrstol appointed
interim Justice Center director

Dr. André Rosay, Justice Center director since 2007, has been appointed associate dean for academic and student affairs in the College of Health. Dr. Rosay bids farewell to the Justice Center here.

Dr. Brad Myrstol, director of the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center and the Alaska Justice Information Center, has been appointed interim director of the Justice Center.

Dr. Myrstol received his Ph.D in Criminal Justice from Indiana University in 2006. He has served as the principal or co-principal investigator on a variety of Alaska justice topics including the offending trajectories of juveniles, the criminal case processing of domestic violence, sexual assault and sexual abuse of a minor cases, the role and impact of Alaska’s Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) program on the state’s response to domestic violence and sexual assault, sex offender recidivism trajectories, sexual violence victimization among university students, the structure and organization of policing in Alaska, as well as factors impacting charging, time-to-disposition, and sentencing outcomes in felony cases.

While at UAA, Dr. Myrstol has received over $1 million in research funding from sources including the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, as well as Alaska state and local agencies.

Dr. Myrstol is currently the principal investigator on Alaska's Results First Initiative, a partnership with the Pew-MacArthur Trust that provides analysis of evidence-based programs giving policymakers  a tool to better understand the relationship between the state’s monetary investment in programs and the return on that investment in terms of the benefits of reduced recidivism.

A nationwide search for a new director will be launched in the future.

Legal Studies joins College of Health's Grand Rounds

Prof. Knudsen and Dr. Tom Wadsworth, Pharm.D. at
COH's Grand Rounds

UAA College of Health (COH) and Alaska Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) held Grand Rounds on Friday, March 3, in the South Café of the Student Union.  The event drew students from across COH disciplines for a program designed to promote interprofessional education and present innovations in diabetes care.  For the first time, Justice Center Legal Studies students and faculty joined the program, bringing their perspective to questions of health policy and insurance coverage.  Madeline Rafferty, a Legal Studies B.A. student, won the event door prize.

Grand Rounds included presentations by Rachel Lescher, M.D., pediatric endocrinologist at Alaska Native Medical Center, Tom Wadsworth, Pharm.D., director of the new Idaho State University-UAA Doctor of Pharmacy program, Amy Urbanus, R.D., certified diabetes educator at Providence Alaska Medical Center, and, probably the most popular panelist, a 16-year-old Alaskan who, with family members, discussed her approach to living with diabetes.

After a short presentation, the panelists went from table to table, fielding questions and showing students how different medical devices worked.

Prof. Kristin Knudsen, Justice Center faculty who teaches Health Law, is a member of COH's Interprofessional Education Working Group which, with AHEC, organized Grand Rounds.  

UAA College of Health faculty and students present at Housing and Homelessness Conference in October

Drs. Troy Payne and Sharon Chamard, Justice Center faculty, presented at the "University and Community Partnerships" session at the Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ACH2) Annual Conference in Anchorage on October 11.

Dr. Payne and Dr. Donna Aguiniga, UAA School of Social Work, discussed their research project, "Space, Place & Home: Mapping the Social Environment of Anchorage Homeless Populations." Their research, in partnership with Covenant House, focused on homeless youth. Through interviews and the use of maps, the researchers asked youth to trace the locations they traveled to throughout the day and evening, and where they slept at night.

Dr. Sharon Chamard presented on "Homeless Encampments" and discussed her research that  examines why homeless encampments exist where they do and the factors that make one location preferred over another. She often works with the Anchorage Police Department Community Action Policing (CAP) Team to address public safety concerns, including homelessness and the use of public space.

Dr. Travis Hedwig, UAA Department of Health Sciences, explained the project, "Increasing Retention, Graduation, and Educational Success Among UAA Students Experiencing Homelessness." Dr. Kathy Trawver, School of Social Work, and Isabel Hakala, a Health Sciences Dept. student, are also working on this project. They used publicly available information on Free Student Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) forms from UAA students to gauge the number of UAA students experiencing homeless - the form specifically asks about experience of homelessness. The goal is to ascertain the needs of homeless UAA students and assist them in their college career.

UAA College of Health nursing students also presented about their service learning project from the Nursing Therapeutic II class - the Senior Nursing Capstone Project - and their partnership with Karluk Manor, a Housing First model residence in Anchorage. This cohort of nursing students began a community nursing project to provide home visits to residents of Karluk Manor. Their goal was to determine how this experience of a home visit project influenced student nurses' views about community nursing and its value. Asst. Prof. Rachel Muir, FNP-BC, was the faculty for this class.

The session was moderated  by Dr. Travis Hedwig with the UAA Department of Health Sciences.

 

Dr. Hedwig opens the program and discusses the number of students
at UAA experiencing homelessness

Dr. Aguiniga describes the Anchorage youth homelessness project she and
Dr. Payne have been working on.

Dr. Payne explains the mapping and interview process used with
the Anchorage homeless youth who volunteered to participate in the study.

Dr. Chamard discusses homeless encampments and her future research
on social networks that are often part of the camps.

 

UAA student nurses present data on their community nursing project.

UAA presenters at the Housing and Homeless Conference - l to r: UAA Health Sciences Student Isabel Hakala,
Dr. Donna Aguiniga, UAA School of Social Work; Asst. Prof. Rachel Muir, UAA School of Nursing;
School of Nursing students: Mary Mills, Mai Lor, Glory Ramirez, Katie Krueger, Jessi Pepper, Angelene Ketah, Amanda Bedrosian, and Kailyn Vaughn; Asst. Prof. Travis Hedwig, UAA Dept.of Health Sciences;
UAA Justice Center faculty Dr. Sharon Chamard and Dr. Troy Payne.

Justice Center faculty and staff attend College of Health All-College Meeting

Dean Hogan (center at podium) welcomes all the COH units.

The College of Health (COH) All-College Meeting was held August 25 in the Cuddy Center to welcome faculty and staff for the new academic year.

Chancellor Tom Case addressed the group and thanked the College of Health for their teaching and research efforts, and praised the level of excellence in the college.

Dean Bill Hogan addresses the COH All-College Meeting.

Dean Bill Hogan presented information on COH programs and budget, outlined some of the major accreditation efforts over the past and coming academic year, and welcomed new COH units and new faculty and staff.  The dean recognized individuals who had been awarded promotion or had received longevity awards for service. He also acknowledged retiring faculty and staff.

From the Justice Center, Dr. André B. Rosay, Justice Center Director, was recognized on his promotion to full professor, and Dr. Cory R. Lepage, Justice faculty, was recognized for 5 years of service to UAA.

Justice Center faculty and staff listen to the Dean's reports.

The event included a workshop on "The Missing Piece in Interprofessional Education (IPE) Teaching: Facilitation Skills With and Across Professions," and a presentation on "Mindfulness."

COH departments also set up exhibit tables to display recent research and programs.

Exhibits by COH units at the All-College Meeting.

At the Justice Center exhibit, (l to r) Prof. Kristin Knudsen, J.D., Legal Studies
Undergraduate Program Coordinator, and Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice Undergraduate
Program Coordinator.

DHSS Commissioner keynotes at College of Health 2015 All-College meeting

2015 COH All-College Meeting at Lucy Cuddy Hall.

L to r: COH Dean Bill Hogan and
DHSS Commissioner Valerie Davidson.

Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Valerie Davidson gave the keynote presentation  at the COH All-College meeting on August 19. She discussed Medicaid expansion and redesign of the Alaska system, and the important role the College of Health plays in supporting the delivery of health services in the state.

Commissioner Davidson noted, "We count on the work of the College of Health. You are making a difference - improving the health and lives of Alaskans."

 Dean Bill Hogan presented information on the COH programs and budget, outlined some of the major accreditation efforts over the past and coming academic year, welcomed new COH units, and recognized new faculty and staff.

Dr. Bart Quimby, UAA Academic
Planning.

Dr. Bart Quimby from UAA Academic Planning, spoke briefly about the steps the Anchorage campus is taking to look at alignment of unit missions, state priorities, and student needs in this time of budget constraints. The meeting closed with a round-robin presentation by the COH Leadership Team highlighting the challenges and opportunities facing us this academic year. Dr. André Rosay was unable to attend the meeting; Barbara Armstrong, editor of the Alaska Justice Forum, and Charlotte Titus, Office Manager, presented Justice Center program and budget information.

Barbara Armstrong, Justice Center.

Charlotte Titus, Justice Center.

Barbara highlighted the Alaska Justice Information Center (AJIC) and the director, Dr. Brad Myrstol. She described AJIC's first project with the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative which focuses on examining specific cost-benefit ratios of justice system programs and helping policy makers make better decisions about investing general fund money in programs with evidence-based impact. AJIC will be expanding its work to other areas that impact offending and recidivism, including physical and behavioral health care.

 

Dr. Rivera and Prof. Knudsen present at Howl Days frosh orientation for College of Health

Standing l to r: Prof. Knudsen and Dr. Rivera count hands of students who have declared a major.

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice Undergraduate Program Coordinator, and Prof. Kristin Knudsen, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, participated in the Fall 2015 Howl Days College of Health (COH) freshman orientation on August 19.

L to r: Dr. Rivera and Prof. Knudsen  - complete with crime scene
tape on the podium - await students and their parents.

COH was the first college to experiment with a new type of orientation schedule in fall 2014 for students, and this year marks the second anniversary for this format.

Over 100 students and parents attended the presentations made by Dr. Rivera and Prof. Knudsen which included information on Justice and Legal Studies degree programs, career options, and descriptions of courses.

Prof. Knudsen talks to students in Della Keats program about impact of the law on health care in Alaska

Prof. Knudsen stresses a point during her presentation.

Prof. Kristin Knudsen, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, was invited to speak to high school students in the Della Keats Health Sciences Summer Program at UAA on July 14. She discussed "Law Is Not Just For Lawyers," which focused on the historical impact of U.S. legislation on the establishment, development, and regulation of hospitals and the practice of medicine in Alaska.

 Della Puyuk Keats
Inupiaq traditional healer
(1907 - 1986)

This UAA campus residential summer program, established over 30 years ago, is named after Della Keats, an Inupiaq traditional healer, and seeks to foster, affirm, and encourage the interest of talented high school and pre-college students from under-represented backgrounds in the medical, nursing and allied health professions.

Acccording to Dr. Ian van Tets, Program Director, between 2002 and 2014, over 250 high school and pre-college students, including close to 100 Alaska Native students, have attended the program which includes complete college preparation and relevant laboratory classes, job-shadowing preceptorships, and a health-related tour and speaker program.   To date, every single student has gone on to attend college and many have gone on to enter the medical, the medical research and the nursing professions.

This year’s program includes students from all over Alaska - Anchorage, Bethel, Kasigluk, Tok, Tuluksak, Unalaska and Unalakleet – and all over the world – students who immigrated with their families from Israel, Korea, Thailand and Sudan.  The program is open to students who have just completed either their junior or their senior year of High School with a 3.0 or better GPA.  To be considered for the program they must also be able to demonstrate that they have a genuine interest in a health-related career and that they are from an underserved or underrepresented background.

There is no cost to participants.  The program is run by the Alaska WWAMI School of Medical Education (Alaska’s Medical School) in collaboration with the UAA School of Nursing and the Department of Health Sciences. 

Dr. Rosay, COH Dean Bill Hogan, and Professor Emeritus John Angell named to public safety subcommittee for mayor-elect's transition team

Three members of the UAA College of Health have been appointed to the public safety subcommittee of Mayor-elect Berkowitz's transition team: Dean Bill Hogan, College of Health; Dr. André Rosay, Justice Center Director; and Dr. John Angell, Professor Emeritus.

An article in the Alaska Dispatch News reported on the announcement.  The public safety subcommittee is chaired by Carmen Gutierrez and Craig Goodrich.

Read the full article:
"Berkowitz unveils full transition team, schedules town hall meetings" by Devin Kelly. Alaska Dispatch News, 02 June 2015.

Dr. Blumenstein awarded College of Health Women's Issues Mini-grant to study students' understanding of sexual misconduct

Dr. Lindsey Blumenstein, Justice faculty, was recently awarded a 2015 UAA College of Health Women's Issues Mini-grant. 

The title of her research project is "Sexual Victimization of Women on College Campuses: How Do UAA Students Define and Identify Sexual Misconduct?"

The main goal of this project is to empirically evaluate which types of sexual violence students at UAA define and do not define as sexual victimization. Using focus group discussions with students across the UAA campus, this project will examine how students’ definitions of victimization affect their decisions to identify and report sexual misconduct. Male and female students will be invited to participate in separate focus group discussions.

To start a dialog on how and why students define sexual misconduct, scenarios will be presented during the focus groups. Collectively, these focus group discussions will provide a comprehensive understanding of how sexual misconduct is understood by students across our campus.

Dr. Blumenstein's research areas include intimate partner violence, campus sexual assault, substance abuse, and criminological theory. 

Dr. Payne and Dr. Aguiniga awarded College of Health interdisciplinary grant to study youth homelessness in Anchorage

Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, and Dr. Donna Aguiniga, School of Social Work faculty, have been awarded one of two College of Health (COH) grants for interdisciplinary research. Their research is titled “Space, place, and home: Mapping the social environment of Anchorage homeless populations.” 

This is a pilot study to develop data collection and analysis methodology that includes place and geography in semi-structured interviews with homeless youth (18-24 years old) in Anchorage. This approach will also allow researchers to study where, when, and with whom various events and perceptions occur.The project is in partnership with Covenant House Alaska.

Drs. Payne and Aguiniga will be adapting methodology used by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania to study the routines of violence-involved youth. Dr. Payne saw Dr. Doug Wiebe of U Penn make a presentation on this methodology at the 2014 Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis (ECCA) Symposium in Kerkrade, The Netherlands, and realized the possibility of utilizing this approach to study homeless youth in Anchorage.  

Two projects were selected by COH for funding. Both project teams will present their study design, implementation, and progress report at a COH-wide event in May 2015, complete their study by December 2015, and submit their study findings for publication and/or submit a proposal for external funding by May 2016.

Alaska Victimization Survey noted at 8th University of the Arctic (UArctic) Rectors' Forum in Iceland

2014 Rectors' Forum attendees

Alaska Victimization Survey estimates were discussed at the 8th annual University of the Arctic (UArctic) Rectors' Forum at the University of Akureyri in Iceland earlier this year.  

Dean Bill Hogan, College of Health, attended the conference as UAA's representative. The Forum gathered together 46 rectors from UArctic higher education institution members, and invited speakers from 12 different countries.

This year's theme was "University Education in the Arctic Regions - Flexibility, Gender Equality, and Health."  Domestic violence was one of the issues on the conference agenda.

The Rectors’ Forums bring together leaders of UArctic’s Higher Education Institution members, and serve as a unique opportunity for the heads of these institutions in the circumpolar North to participate in a common dialogue and learning experience focused on topics of special relevance. 

Justice Center participates in College of Health all-college meeting

COH faculty and staff at the Fall 2014 All-College Meeting.

The College of Health (COH) held an all-college meeting and BBQ on August 15. Dean Bill Hogan presented information on the COH Strategic Plan 2014-2018 and the results of the recent prioritization process, and introduced new faculty and staff.

Dr.  Gabe Garcia and students from the Smoke-Free Campus Initiative addressed the group about their project. UAA is the first UA campus to join the Fresh Air Campus Challenge.

Breakout sessions included presentation on the new electronic approval system for travel, e-learning resources, and a tour of the new Allied Health facilities.

Justice Center faculty and staff at the COH All-College Meeting.

COH departments also set up exhibit tables to display recent research and programs.

See the slide show below.

Justice Center participates in College of Health frosh orientation pilot project

L to r: Carey Brown, COH Academic Advising Coordinator; Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice Undergraduate Program
Coordinator; and Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Legal Studies Program Coordinator, chat before the orientation sessions begin.

Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Legal Studies Program Coordinator, and Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice Undergraduate Program Coordinator, participated in the Fall 2014 College of Health (COH) freshman orientation pilot project on August 11. COH is the first college to experiment with a new type of orientation schedule for students.  Over 60 students attended the sessions which included presentations by COH departments, schools, and centers.

COH Dean Bill Hogan announced at the August 15 COH All-College Meeting that this innovative format for orientation will now serve as the model for other UAA colleges.

Dr. Rivera and Dr. Garcia present at international epidemiology conference on Wednesday, August 20, in Anchorage

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice Center faculty, and Dr. Gabriel Garcia, UAA Department of Health Sciences, present their collaborative research,  "Is Race a Factor in Disparate Health Problems Associated with Violent Victimization in Alaska?" at a poster session for the 20th IEA World Congress of Epidemiology in Anchorage.

The poster session is Wednesday, August 20, from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. in the exhibit hall of the Dena'ina Center. This year's conference theme is "Global Epidemiology in a Changing Environment: The Circumpolar Perspective."

The mission of the International Epidemiological Association  (IEA) is to facilitate communication among individuals engaged in research and the teaching of epidemiology worldwide, and to foster the use of epidemiology in all fields of health including social, community, and preventative medicine.

National Public Health Week starts April 7 at UAA - check out Healthy Alaskans 2020 and other events

National  Public Health Week starts Monday, April 7, at UAA with a roster of activities including a drive-in movie, a group walk, and sessions on health topics.  These events are coordinated by the College of Health Department of Health Sciences.

On Tuesday, April 8,  Lisa DH Aquino, State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, and Emily Read, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, will discuss "Healthy Alaskans 2020 - Alaskans in Healthy Communities." This event will run from 11:30 a.m.. - 12:30 p.m. in Room 113, Health Sciences Building, UAA Campus.

Healthy Alaskans 2020 is a joint effort of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. Together they have identified 25 Leading Health Indicators — a list of critical health priorities for Alaska. The 25 leading health indicators include reducing the rates of cancer, suicide, and interpersonal violence and sexual assault.

Dr. André Rosay, Justice Center Director, and Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, are co-conveners for the Healthy Alaskans 2020 Strategy Workgroup responsible for identifying key strategies and actions steps related to reducing the rate of child maltreatment, rate of rape, and percentage of adolescents who were ever physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend.

Contact the UAA Department of Health Sciences at 786-6540 or krfrost@uaa.alaska.edu for a full schedule of events.

Don't miss the film "Fruitvale Station" on Friday, Feb 7 at 5pm!

The College of Health Diversity Committee is sponsoring a free film discussion and popcorn event for UAA students:

Day: Friday,  February 7
Time: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Place: Social Sciences Building (SSB) 118 

The film, "Fruitvale Station," looks at the police shooting of an unarmed young black man on a BART train in Oakland, California on New Year’s 2009.

Justice and Legal Studies students may find this film particularly interesting to view and talk about together.  A faculty-facilitated group discussion follows the film.

This event is presented as part of a series of educational programs for UAA students on issues related to diversity.

Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Justice faculty, is chair of the COH Diversity Committee. 

Prof. Knudsen and Prof. Kessler receive College of Health interdisciplinary education grant

Prof. Kristin Knudsen, J.D., Justice faculty and Prof. Bree Kessler, Department of Health Sciences, have been awarded a College of Health Interdisciplinary Education Grant.

Together they will be developing a half-day mock trial event related to a health care topic. The mock trial will take place in Fall 2014 and provide an interactive learning environment for the discussion of health and law.

Fall 2014 students in Prof. Knudsen's LEGL 385 Health Care Law and Prof. Kessler's HS 220 Core Concept in Health Sciences classes will participate in the mock trial as one of the lawyers, judges, or jurors in the case. They will be given relevant court case information and course materials to assist them in preparing.

Prof. Knudsen and Prof. Kessler note that the goal of this collaboration is to allow students to better understand each others' areas of study and to interact in a classroom prior to interacting in their real world field.  Students training in a science-based curriculum are accustomed to evidence-based protocols, while students in legal training are taught to navigate uncertainty and risk. 

Dr. Rosay discusses intimate partner violence with Master of Public Health students

Dr. Rosay presents information on the Alaska Victimization Survey.

Dr. André Rosay, Justice Center director, spoke on the justice perspective on intimate partner violence (IPV)  at the UAA Master of Public Health Student Symposium on December 9, 2013
at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel.

Click here for his PowerPoint presentation.

The Master of  Public Health degree is a distance-delivered program.  The student symposium is  mandatory event for degree candidates to meet face-to-face with faculty, advisors, and alumni.

Over 80 candidates from around the state, the lower 48, as well as Japan, Saipan, and Denmark attended the symposium

The program was coordinated by Dr. Nancy Nix, UAA Department of Health Sciences.