APU’s priority remains to keep each other safe and healthy as we continually monitor the dynamic conditions related to COVID-19 (the novel coronavirus). We write today to provide travel guidance, to remind you of best practices to safeguard our community, and to recommend reliable sources for updated information. Please be aware that no one in Alaska…
APU Spotlight
Alaska Pacific University Joins the University of the Arctic
Alaska Pacific University (APU) has been accepted as a member of the University of the Arctic (UArctic), the international network of research and educational organizations concerned with issues affecting the Circumpolar North. The membership approval came during the UArctic Council meeting held in Stockholm, Sweden, Sept. 18-20. More than 130 participants attended, representing member institutions…
Mental Health Awareness Event Takes Center Stage
On November 1, Alaska Pacific University (APU) senior Rachel Fritz walked to the stage to welcome the attendees of Mental Health Awareness Day. Fritz aimed to change how Alaskans talk about mental health. “The organization of today’s event means a lot to me, honestly. It means that this campus [APU] is putting mental health first….
APU Alum Simon Frez-Albrecht Talks Guiding at 20,310 Feet
How long have you been a guide? How long of that has been on Denali? I started my guiding career in 2012 as a canoe guide in Connecticut on the small rivers there, but I didn’t start doing any climbing or mountain guiding until 2014. I started guiding on Denali in 2015, as an apprentice…
Meet James Temte, APU’s New Project Manager
What does your role at APU entail? I like to think of my role as the “Sweeper” in soccer. I fill in where is needed as well as work on special projects. One of the projects I will be working on is to establish a research center at APU that helps to provide opportunities for…
FAST Lab Uses Drones, Community Outreach in Collaboration with Nanwalek village
Each summer, Alaska’s mature salmon turn on their internal homing devices and return to their origin waters to finish out their life journey. But as the number of reds returning to the waters near the Alaska Native village of Nanwalek continues to ebb, it’s also drawn the return of community collaborators: APU’s Fisheries, Aquatic Science,…
Meet Jessie Downes, APU’s New Director of Nursing Programs
Dr. Jessie Downes joins APU as the new Assistant Professor of Nursing and Director of the Nursing Programs. She is a registered nurse, and her graduate studies in nursing focused on healthcare systems leadership. Jessie brings clinical, management, and professional education/training experience in both public and Alaska Tribal health systems to our new programs. Most recently,…
Meet Laura Hudson, New Assistant Professor of Health Services Administration
Laura Hudson, BSN, MBA is now fulltime at APU, serving as Assistant Professor of Health Services Administration. Laura has taught in the MBA program for several years, and last year, in addition to assisting with the development of the RN-to-BSN program, she began working on the self-study process for nursing program accreditation. Prior to joining…
New Elder Artists in Residence Program to Teach Art and Culture
Alaska Native elders and renowned artists, Joe and Martha Senungetuk, have been named the inaugural Elder Artists-in-Residence for the heARTS Healing Center and Studio at Alaska Pacific University. From November until June, the couple will use the art room in Atwood Center as their studio and mentoring space for any student, staff, or faculty member…
One Woman, Two Degrees (Soon to be Three, Plus a Certificate)
When Desirae Roehl moved to Anchorage from King Cove in the Aleutians in 2008, she was looking for new opportunities. She had had a job at her tribal office doing environmental outreach — a role that had her crafting a recycling program, doing assessments, and educating the community on environmental causes — that she enjoyed….
