8: Indigenous education and the impact of visibility w/ Michele Yatchmeneff
Release Date: 02/28/2022
20: Embodying Santa Claus and the transition from plane to sleigh w/ Dan Bale
Seawolf Voices
Anyone can put on a coat, hat and beard and call themselves Santa Claus. But few embody the spirit of Father Christmas as perfectly as professional piloting alumnus Dan Bale. An Alaska bush pilot who has logged more than 20,000 flight hours over the course of his 50-year career, during the winter, he is more affectionately known as Santa Dan. Now in his 17th year, Santa Dan is available for photos with kids (and even dogs) at the Midtown Mall in Anchorage, Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. In this episode, Dan talks about his childhood...
info_outline
19: Directing Native Student Services and the delicate balancing act of parental encouragement w/ Jason Hotch
Seawolf Voices
November is American Indian Alaska Native Heritage Month, and in a bit of serendipitous timing, this month is also when business alumnus Jason Hotch, a first-generation university graduate from the Southeast Alaska village of Klukwan, stepped into his new position as director of Native Student Services at UAA. In this episode, Jason talks about transitioning from working in business to education, resisting the need to rush things unless you absolutely want to, and making education more equitable for everyone. Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google...
info_outline
18: Filipino American history preservation and the benefits of talking to strangers w/ Shayne Nuesca & Pearl-Grace Pantaleone
Seawolf Voices
Mana in Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, translates to inheritance. It is also the title of an on display in the Anchorage Museum from October 2023, in time for Filipino American History Month, until January 2024. The collection serves as an archive of portraits and stories of Filipino immigrant elders from communities across Alaska. In this episode, journalism and public communications alumni Shayne Nuesca, Mana cofounder, and Pearl-Grace Pantaleone, Mana cowriter, talk about the origins of the project, the surprising benefits of talking to strangers, and the importance of...
info_outline
17: Volleyball coaching and how to give a more effective inspirational halftime speech w/ Stacie Meisner
Seawolf Voices
After a season for Seawolf volleyball, English alumna, former student-athlete and longtime assistant coach closed the year with a promotion to head coach. The seventh head coach in program history, Stacie took the reins over from , who she played for as early as high school in Nebraska. In this episode, Stacie talks about stepping into the shoes of her mentor, some of her favorite matches as an athlete and as a coach, and how her coaching philosophy builds better people out of players. Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon...
info_outline
16: Crewing on Shazam! Fury of the Gods and the guerilla movies made on campus w/ D.K. Johnston
Seawolf Voices
Every year, millions of people crowd movie theaters around the world to watch the latest blockbusters starring beloved characters from Marvel and DC Comics. But journalism and public communications alumnus D.K. Johnston is one of the lucky few who get to watch them from behind the camera as they’re being made. After picking up a camcorder at 9 years old, D.K. has racked up dozens of production credits across Alaska, California and Georgia. He’s worked on everything from low-budget independent films, to Netflix reality shows, and multimillion-dollar Marvel content like Black Widow and The...
info_outline
15: Navigating dating and relationships and how everything is communication w/ Marsha Schirack-Olson & Solveig Pedersen
Seawolf Voices
Marsha Schirack-Olson and Solveig Pedersen love love. In fact, that statement is one of the first things you’ll see on the website for P.S. Consulting, their dating and relationship consulting business. When they’re not helping people navigate the dating and relationship landscape, they’re helping students navigate the higher education landscape as communications professors at UAA. In this episode, Marsha and Solveig talk about their favorite relationship advice to give, what makes for an effective online dating profile, and how everything in life boils down to solid communication....
info_outline
14: Mobile Crisis Team and the future of mental health response w/ Jennifer Pierce & Michael Riley
Seawolf Voices
Dial 911 and the responding dispatcher might send one of three options: a police officer, a firefighter or an EMT. But what if no crime has been committed or no laws broken? What if there’s no actual burning building, just the feeling that everything is on fire? What if the medical emergency isn’t of the body but the mind? Enter a fourth option: Anchorage’s Mobile Crisis Team. Launched in summer 2021 and housed within the Anchorage Fire Department, the Mobile Crisis Team responds specifically to mental health emergency calls, such as suicidal ideations, schizophrenic or bipolar episodes,...
info_outline
13: First-generation student success and how mothers know best w/ Eva Ulukivaiola
Seawolf Voices
“I told you so” is something Eva Ulukivaiola hears a lot from her mom. Starting in middle school, Eva’s mom enrolled her in TRIO, sacrificing valuable free time and summer vacations. But her mom hoped that Eva and her sisters would use this resource as a springboard to be the first in their family to earn college degrees. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, TRIO is a national program that helps students enter and complete post-secondary education. TRIO is also where Eva, now an economics and global supply chain management alumna, currently serves as Student Support Services...
info_outline
12: Immigrant and indigenous psychology and the beautiful mess that is life w/ E.J.R. David
Seawolf Voices
It can be easy to lose yourself in Metro Manila, the capital region of the Philippines with a population of about 14 million people. It can be harder to do that in Utqiagvik, Alaska’s northernmost city with a population of about 4,000. But E.J.R. David found himself exactly that: lost, struggling with issues of identity after moving from Metro Manila to Utquiagvik as a teenager. That is, until he discovered a science at UAA that helped him make sense of what he was feeling. Today, E.J. passes on what he’s learned as a professor of psychology at his alma mater, as well as a published...
info_outline
11: Student resilience and how communities can better support education w/ Temperance Tinker Kays
Seawolf Voices
With a new academic year underway, education alumna and high school English teacher Temperance Tinker Kays is right where she wants to be. This year, however, has big shoes to fill. In April 2022, toward the end of her 14th year at West Anchorage High School, Temperance was surprised with the title of this year’s Milken Educator Award, considered to be the Oscar of teaching. In this episode, Temperance shares some of her favorite lessons to teach her students, how both teaching and learning have changed since the pandemic, and how communities can better support their schools and teachers....
info_outlineIn October 2021, Michele accepted the role of executive director of Alaska Native education and outreach at UAA. Sitting on the chancellor’s Cabinet, her position is focused on ensuring Alaska Native students, faculty and staff have equal opportunity to succeed on campus.
What makes Yatchmeneff the perfect person for the job is that she has been all those things at UAA. Before taking the job, she served as associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and assistant director of the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program.
In this episode, Michele talks about the challenges she faced pursuing her undergraduate, graduate and doctorate degrees, how impactful it can be to see someone with a similar background hold a leadership position, and how programs like ANSEP and the Alaska Native Success Initiative can be scaled up to benefit entire communities.
Access captions for this episode: https://bit.ly/35YST6J