A Place for Knowledge Exchange

The College of Indigenous Studies is co-hosting a monthly speaker series with the International Arctic Research Center highlighting collaborative approaches to research, education and real-life community-based practices in rural Alaska.

Upcoming Seminar: Wildfire & My Community

Sept 2025 Seminar Flyer

Download Flyer (pdf)

September 17, 2025

12 p.m. to 1 p.m. | Remote via Zoom

Meet the Speakers:

Malinda Chase

Malinda Chase is Director of the Association of interior Native Educators, Co-Investigator of the Arctic and Earth STEM Integration of GLOBE and NASA assets (SIGNs) project, a Tribal Liaison at the ��appClimate Adaptation Science Center, a Land Manager at her Native Village of Anvik, and a trained GLOBE educator. Malinda’s areas of expertise include boundary spanning/co-production of science, climate adaptation, Indigenous studies, science education and social science.

Hilary Shook

Hilary Shook is the program coordinator for the ��appFire Science Consortium. She is passionate about connecting wildland fire practitioners with scientific researchers to better inform their response to wildland fire, and how emergency response resources are supported in their work. She has over 15 years experience in wildland fire coordination. She received her MPA in 2017. Hilary moved to ��appin 2009 and lives in Fairbanks with her husband.

Elena B. Sparrow

Elena B. Sparrow is a Research Professor of soil microbiology and science education and Co-director of Education and Outreach at the International Arctic Research Center at the University of ��appFairbanks (UAF), Founder and Co-coordinator of the UAF ��appGlobal Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Partnership, Principal Investigator of the Arctic and Earth STEM Integration of GLOBE and NASA assets (SIGNs) project that braids Indigenous and western science in engaging educators, youth and community members in climate learning and action, and Co-investigator of the NASA Science Activation STEM Learning Ecosystems project at Arizona State University.

Katie V. Spellman

Katie V. Spellman is a Research Associate Professor of ecology, science education and vegetation and Co-director of Education and Outreach at the International Arctic Research Center at the ��app (UAF), an Associate Professor of Natural Resources and Environment at the UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics, a Climate Scholar Program Faculty Fellow at the UAF Honors College, and Co-coordinator of the UAF Alaska GLOBE Partnership. She is an expert in Alaska’s wild berries, invasive plants, community and public engagement in science, and climate change education.

Save the Dates: Fall 2025

Sept.17

Wildfire and My Community

Join us for our first seminar of the semester: Wildfire and My Community with Malinda Chase, Katie Spellman, Elena Sparrow, Hilary Shook Fully remote via Zoom
12 p.m.-1 p.m.
Oct.15

Seminar

Save the date for our upcoming seminar! Topic: SalmonSpeakers TBA Fully remote via Zoom
12 p.m.-1 p.m.
Nov.19

Fall Brunch/Student Activity

Save the date for our fall semester collaboration brunch/student engagement activity! This in-person-only gathering offers a chance to connect in a welcoming setting—no presentations, just meaningful conversations. Stay tuned for details on planned activities. Location & menu TBA
10 a.m.-12 p.m.

The College of Indigenous Studies and International Arctic Research Center present a new research speaker series: A Place for Knowledge Exchange

The College of Indigenous Studies (CIS) and the (IARC) co-host this virtual seminar series, with monthly conversations covering collaborative approaches to research, education, and real-life community-based practices in rural Alaska.

Future seminar topics include co-stewardship, co-production of knowledge, climate impacts on traditional ways of life, food and water security, fisheries, and much more.

As part of A Place for Knowledge Exchange, CIS and will hold one collaboration brunch each semester for those interested in connecting with the two organizations and other members of the UAF community. The location of these collaboration brunches will rotate between CIS and IARC facilities.

The seminar and brunches will be facilitated by:

Josie Sam, Assistant Professor, Department of ��appNative Studies and Rural Development and International Arctic Research Center
Sonta Roach, Assistant Professor, Department of ��appNative Studies and Rural Development
Arlo Davis, Engagement Coordinator, International Arctic Research Center
Yoko Kugo, Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies, Center for Cross-Cultural Studies

Past seminars

March 19, 2025 | UAF Alumna Highlight: Holly Wofford

For March's seminar in the Speaker Series A Place for Knowledge Exchange, Holly Wofford shared her academic and artistic journeys with UAF that led her to create an illustrated version of a Koyukon Athabascan legend and a Native Language board game.

Speaker:

Holly Wofford, Native Language Teacher, Yukon-Koyukuk School District and ��appNative Studies Graduate

Feb. 19, 2025 | Highlighting the Work of the
��appTribal Resilience Learning Network

Speakers:

Krista Heeringa, Tribal Resilience Learning Network Coordinator, ��appClimate Adaptation Science Center
Malinda Chase, Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison, ��appClimate Adaptation Science Center
Jerilyn Kelly, Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison, ��appClimate Adaptation Science Center
Lori Petrauski, Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison, ��appClimate Adaptation Science Center

Nov. 15, 2024 | Working Towards a Community-first Approach to Climate Resilience

Speakers:

Chris Maio, Associate Professor, Geoscience Department and Director ��appCoastal Cooperative
Angela Johnson, President and IGAP Coordinator, Native Village of Nelson Lagoon and Co-I on ACTION Project
Casey Ferguson, Community Engagement Manager, ��appCoastal Cooperative and Co-I on ACTION Project

Oct. 16, 2024 | Traditional Wellness in a Modern Context

Speakers:

Arlo Davis, Diversity and Inclusivity Coordinator, International Arctic Research Center
Teisha Simmons, Interim Dean, College of Indigenous Studies

Apr. 18, 2024 | Intersection of well-being and fisheries

Speakers:

Dr. Rachel Donkersloot: Owner, Coastal Cultures Research
Harmony Jade Wayner: Indigenous Liaison, International Arctic Research Center, University of ��appFairbanks.
Freddie Christiansen: Board Member, Old Harbor Native Corporation

Mar. 21, 2024 | Uplifting Indigenous Knowledge through the Tamamta Program

Our fourth seminar highlighted the Tamamta Program, and uplifting Indigenous knowledge. It occured virtually on Mar. 21 at noon with speakers:

Sonia Natalie Ibarra | Tamamta co-Program Coordinator, Postdoctoral Fellow
Craig Chythlook | Tamamta Research Fellow, IARC Indigenous Liaison

Feb. 15, 2024 | Co-Stewardship: From Concept to Actions

Our third seminar highlighted co-stewardship, from concept to actions. It occured virtually on Feb. 15, 2024 at noon with speakers including Carrie Stevens, Mary Hostetter, and Ralph (Góos’k’) Wolfe.

Jan. 25, 2024 | Food security/insecurity and local implications

Our second seminar highlighted food security/insecurity and local implications. It occured virtually on Jan.25, 2024 at noon, with speakers inlcuding Eva Dawn Burk, IARC, Carrie Stevens, CIS and Vernae Angnaboogok, ICC Alaska.

Dec. 7, 2023 | Community-engaged and community-driven research

Our first seminar focused on processes and protocols for community-engaged and community-driven research. It occurred virtually on Dec. 7 at noon, with speakers including Jessica Black, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Rural, Community and Native Education, Stacey Lucason, Tribal Research Coordinator, Kawerak and Margaret Rudolf, Postdoctoral fellow, International Arctic Research Center.

Dr. Claudia Ihl: Why the muskox crossed the road - investigations into the habitat use of Nome's urban muskoxen

Date: April 12, 2023
Time: 12 pm - 1 pm AKST

Dr. Claudia Ihl grew up in Germany and first came to ��appwhen she rode a bicycle from San Francisco to Fairbanks. She went on to receive a Master of Science and a PhD in Biology from the ��app. Claudia has studied muskoxen in NW ��appfor both her degrees and in her current position as Associate Professor of Biology at the NW campus in Nome. Claudia also worked with captive muskoxen at the Large Animal Research Station while she was a graduate student. In Nome, Claudia teaches a variety of classes and involves rural students in her research on muskoxen. Claudia's current project focuses on the increasing problem of muskoxen which invade the city limits of Nome. The exact reasons for this strange behavior are elusive, but Claudia believes that habitat created by human activities such as mining plays a deciding role.

Claudia enjoys all outdoor activities such as backpacking, kayaking, skiing and fishing. She also paints watercolors and makes big, bad wire sculptures of bugs in her spare time.

Dr. Mike Koskey: Community-Based and Community-Initiated Research, Lessons Learned and Best Practices

Date: Feb. 8, 2023
Time: 12 pm - 1 pm AKST

Michael Koskey is an associate professor with the Center for Cross-Cultural Studies, which offers a Master's of Arts and a Ph.D. in Indigenous Studies. While serving in the Marine Corps he received a BS in Anthropology and a BA in Political Science from the University of Central Florida, and afterward received an MS in Anthropology from Purdue University and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the ��app.

Mike's research focuses on oral history, traditional knowledge, ethnohistory, culture change, decolonization, resource use and allocation, food security and sovereignty, and indigenous cosmology/mythology. He is married and has two grown sons, lives in Goldstream Valley, and enjoys hiking and hunting with family and friends.

Dr. Diane McEachern: Social work education with Indigenous adult learners

Date: Jan. 18, 2023
Time: 12pm - 1pm

Dr. Diane McEachern is a professor of rural human services (RHS) and Human Services (HUMS) at CIS’s Kuskokwim Campus in Bethel. She has taught there for 19 years and previous to that was the lead social worker for the Lower Kuskokwim School District.

She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Psychology/Philosophy from Missouri State University, her master’s degree in social work from Arizona State University, and her doctorate from Lesley University in Cambridge MA.

Dr. McEachern’s research and doctoral work was the study of social work education with Indigenous adult learners. She is program head for an innovative cohort model of education (RHS) that has as its foundation, Indigenous ways of learning and understanding. This has made the program, taught out of the Kuskokwim and Interior ��appCampus (IAC) popular among Indigenous adult learners from many rural communities.

She was the recipient of the Emil Usibelli Award for distinguished teaching among other awards. She enjoys roaming the tundra, photography, and hiking.

Dr. Charleen Fisher, Co-Create Initiative: Collaborative research in the circumpolar North

Date: Nov. 9, 2022
Time: Noon AKT

Dr. Charleen Fisher is a member of the Gwich’in, Koyukon, and Dena'ina community from Beaver, Alaska. She currently teaches at the ��app as an Assistant Professor.

Charleen has many years of experience as a K-12 certified teacher and principal in the Yukon Flats and Fairbanks North Star Borough School Districts. She has held the positions of Executive Director, Native American Career and Technical Education Program Director, and Education Director with the Council of Athabascan Tribal Government, and has served as the Chief of Beaver Village Council.

She has a B.A. in Political Science, M.Ed. in Language and Literacy, a Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership from the University of ��appAnchorage, and a Ph.D. in Indigenous Studies from the ��app.

Dr. Fisher presented on the Co-Create Initiative: Collaborative research in the circumpolar North. Read the paper here:

Copy of presentation

Michelle Demmert, VAWA 2022 and the ��appProvisions

Date: Oct. 14, 2022
Time: Noon AKT

Tribal Governance faculty Michelle Demmert will presented on the 2022 Violence Against Women Act and the ��appProvisions.

Michelle (Jaaghal.aat) Demmert, Tlingit, Eagle, Ḵaax̱ʼoos.hittaan (Man’s Foot) clan is an Assistant Professor in the Tribal Governance Department of the College of Indigenous Studies College. In the recent past, she was the Law and Policy Director at
the ��appNative Women’s Resource Center, served as the appointed Chief Judge for the Tulalip Tribes and the elected Chief Justice for the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

While the Chief Justice for her tribe, she served as the co-chair of the National Congress of American Indians’ Violence Against Women Task Force. Professor Demmert has devoted her legal career to advancing improvements and practices in tribal courts and has also worked in various capacities of advancing domestic violence protections for women and children.

Dr. Walkie Charles: Dynamic Assessment in a Yugtun L2 Intermediate Adult Classroom

Date: Sept. 14, 2022
Time: Noon AKST

Dr. Walkie Charles, Director of the UAF ��appNative Language Center, presented on his research "Dynamic Assessment in a Yugtun L2 Intermediate Adult Classroom."

Walkie Charles (Yup’ik) is an Associate Professor of Yup’ik in the ��appNative Language Program at the ��app (UAF). He also became the first Alaska Native director for the ��appNative Language Center (ANLC) at UAF in 2021. He received his Ph.D. in applied linguistics in 2011.

His interests include dynamic assessment, sociocultural theory, and Yugtun (Yup’ik) language teaching and learning. His dissertation was titled Dynamic Assessment in a Yugtun L2 Intermediate Adult Classroom. He has extensive experience in public school teaching and bilingual education for over thirty years both in rural and urban Alaskan communities.

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