AUUF Podcasts

Derek Sikes is Curator of Insects for the University of Alaska Museum of the North and professor of entomology in the University of Alaska Fairbanks Department of Biology and Wildlife. Since he came to Alaska in 2006. Dr. Sikes has been working to improve the Alaskan state insect collection, teach entomology to UAF students and the public, and expand knowledge of Alaska's most numerous animals. Derek has combined traditional with modern molecular phylogenetic approaches and has happily dived into the work of documenting the (non-marine) Arthropod fauna of Alaska, principally Coleoptera (beetles), and is an advocate of the study and protection of arthropod—specifically beetle—biodiversity.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/s/opfxfg5kqfy433b/Sikes-climate-change.pdf?dl=0

Another interesting link - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/25/the-insect-apocalypse-our-world-will-grind-to-a-halt-without-them

Nora Morse was born and raised in Anchorage before attending American University in Washington, D.C, where she earned her degree in Communications, Law, Economics, and Government. Since moving home, she has worked on Senator Begich's 2014 senate re-election campaign and Mayor Ethan Berkowitz's first mayoral race, and ran Senator Begich's 2018 campaign for governor. She also worked for the Anchorage Police Department as the Deputy Communications Director and the Anchorage Police Department Employees Association as the Communications and Government Affairs Director. Nora currently works at Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii working on reproductive justice issues in Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Idaho, Indiana, and Kentucky. Nora lives in South Anchorage with her husband, stepdaughter, and two dogs. She can be found fat biking, hiking, or at Bear Tooth eating nachos.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/s/vujexv4b4ljo9ep/PPAA_UU_Presentation%20.pdf?dl=0

Link - https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-great-northwest-hawaiian-islands/access-blog/planned-parenthood-votes-northwest-and-hawaii-update-tough-battles-ahead-hope-on-the-horizon

Steve Cleary is Executive Director of Alaska Trails. He received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from St. John's University in Collegeville MN in 1993, then volunteered as a teacher for three years—teaching pre-school in Chicago and high school in Belize. After studying paper recycling and economics in Panama on a Fulbright Scholarship, Steve biked to Alaska from Minnesota in 1998. He worked for the Anchorage Daily News, the Red Cross, and as a Spanish tutor, then for eight years with the Alaska Public Interest Research Group. While Steve has been a full-time stay-at-home dad since his son Liam was born in 2008, he has been able to do some contract work for the National Wildlife Federation and for AkPIRG, including helping push through the Fire Island wind project. Steve and his family are avid bikers, hikers and skiers and love to enjoy Alaska's world-renowned trails.

Slides (pdf) - https://www.dropbox.com/s/r3q1uqj74kunqwv/UU%20Long%20Trail%20%20overview%207.11.21.pdf?dl=0

Audrey Weltman Kelly moved from Wisconsin to Alaska in 1967 and lived in Palmer, Juneau, and Wasilla before settling in Anchorage in 1997. In Juneau, Audrey developed an interest in Alaskan history while studying North Pacific Coast Indian culture and the history of the development of the territory of Alaska. She was involved in the Travel and Tourism industry from 1974 to 1998.

As a teenager in Seattle, Bruce Kelly developed a keen interest in Alaska history and made a vow to live here, which he kept when he arrived at Fort Richardson in 1962, at the age of 18. He took night classes at the old Anchorage Community College. including memorable classes in Alaska history, and after his discharge from the Army he lived in Indian, worked full time, and completed his B.A. degree at the University ofAlaska-Anchorage in 1972. He left Alaska to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand while working for the New Zealand government. Seven years later after earning his masters’ degree he returned to Alaska to stay. Bruce worked for the State of Alaska and retired in 1998.

In the early 2000’s Audrey led Walking Tours featuring historic buildings in downtown Anchorage and she and Bruce began working with John Bagoy on his cemetery tours. They have conducted these tours for 18 years now, continuing what Bagoy started since his death in 2005. In 2010 Audrey received the Kay Linton Volunteer in the Arts Award, and Bruce was awarded the Mayor’s Award for the Arts. Both Audrey and Bruce have served as members of the Board of Directors of Cook Inlet Historical Society. They are members of the Alaska Historical Society and in 2013 each received that organization’s Contributions to Alaska History Award. ​ Linda Benson is one of Anchorage’s favorite actors. She has performed roles that are often challenging and always spot-on in numerous productions at Cyrano’s Playhouse and Anchorage Community Theatre, like RKP’s “Night Mother” and The Women of Lockerbee.” She has also directed plays and served on ACT’s Board of Directors, Long active with The Storyteller's Guild, Linda has been praised by newspaper reviewers for her extensive, varied repertoire and for bringing her background of formal training and experience as an actress to her storytelling. In the summer of 1999, Linda created and performed a mostly one-woman show called “Women of the Frozen North” in which she portrayed nine women of the Gold Rush era, complete with onstage costume changes.

Dick Reichman is a long-time Anchorage resident and prominent member of the Alaska theatre community. He has been particularly active with Cyrano’s Theatre Company and RKP Productions as a playwright, director, and actor. Dick was honored as the recipient of this year’s Jerry Harper Service Award at the annual Valdez theatre conference. Dick worked in radio most of his life, and as a part-time harpsichord and piano tuner. He and his wife Christine and his wife have three adult children.

The 4 July Forum Zoom video can be found here - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ze2lmxbsut52jkc/20210704_0900.mp4?dl=0

Pamela Kelley is Executive Director of Alzheimers Resource of Alaska (ARA) . For the three years prior to becoming the Executive Director, Pam served as the organizations Education Director. Her years of service as the Education Director for ARA were influenced by the myriad lessons learned while supporting and providing care for a family member who lived with Alzheimers disease. Originally from Ohio, she earned her law degree from Indiana University School of Law and moved to Anchorage in 1985 with her husband, Dave. She worked as a lawyer and coordinated the paralegal studies program at the University of Alaska Anchorage before personally and professionally immersing herself in the field of dementia care. She is widely published on subjects ranging from the First Amendment to end-of-life. Pam and Dave continue to enjoy exploring wild Alaska on foot or skis, by kayak and canoe.

Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska website - https://www.alzalaska.org

Pam's Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/s/r22i6s7k3z7pdrz/ARAServices_and_Supports.pdf?dl=0

Vi Waghiyi is Environmental Health and Justice Program Director for Alaska Community Action on Toxics. She is a Yupik grandmother who was born in the village of Savoonga on Sivuqaq (also known as St. Lawrence Island). She was hired by ACAT in 2002 to work in Anchorage on the St. Lawrence Island environmental health and justice project, and by 2009 she had stepped into the position of Program Director to share responsibilities with the executive director for all of ACAT’s efforts. She has received the Environmental Achievement Award from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and been recognized by leaders of Savoonga “for dedication and devoted service as an Ambassador of St. Lawrence Island for protecting our health and human rights.” She was a member of the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council, which advises the National Institute of Health, for five years, and was appointed this year to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. Vi lives in Anchorage with her husband and their grandchild.

NYT Article - https://www.dropbox.com/s/u5oqo5uv3tm0ng0/201508_NYTArticle_Short_Intro_Formatted.pdf?dl=0

Opinion Editorial in ADN by Vi - Commentary on PCPs - https://www.dropbox.com/s/83gfi3hk5kjpscs/20150708_OpinionEditorialADN_Vi%27s_Commentary_PCPs.pdf?dl=0

KNOMProgram on Field Institute - https://www.dropbox.com/s/w4wsvj95aq50x0u/20150716_KNOM_Program_on_FieldInstitute.pdf?dl=0

Op-Ed - Nancy Beck Nomination https://www.dropbox.com/s/67ql4um4jf5mugc/20200629_Op-Ed_NancyBeckNomination.pdf?dl=0

Anchorage Daily News - Vi Waghiyi Appointed to White House Council - https://www.dropbox.com/s/evaswcqftndfpes/20210401_AnchorageDailyNews-ViWaghiyi_Appoiinted_to_WhiteHouseCouncil.pdf?dl=0

Radio Broadcast - Vi Waghiyi - Native America Calling - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ix5iyq9w4d18v7p/20210422_RadioBroadcast-ViWaghiyi-NativeAmericaCalling.pdf?dl=0

Talking Points from ACAT for Ltrs to the Editor on PFAS Legislation - https://www.dropbox.com/s/8t63j6l6wlp653e/202 0609_TalkingPoints_from_ACAT_for_Ltrs_to_the_Editor_on_PFASLegislation.pdf?dl=0

Lacy Wilcox is President and Legislative Liaison for the Alaska Marijuana Industry Association (AMIA), and a member of the Western Regional Cannabis Business Alliance. Born and raised in Homer, Lacy worked in state government under four governors. She ended her government service as Deputy Legislative Director in Governor Bill Walker’s office, analyzing new legislation and assisting in the implementation of new policies across departments. During this time, she worked extensively with the Legislature to amend statutes that cleared that way for the Marijuana Control Board’s work and collaborated with a team drafting policy outlines to implement Ballot Measure 2, which legalized recreational marijuana. Lacy participates in strategic meetings with lawmakers at both the state and federal level and is often called upon around the nation as an industry expert. Lacy and her husband are partners with others in the Juneau-based cannabis company Top Hat Alaska. They live with their two young daughters live in Juneau.

Issa Spatrisano is the Program Director and State Refugee Coordinator at Catholic Social Service’s Refugee Assistance and Immigration Services (RAIS) program in Alaska. Issa has worked 10 years in refugee resettlement and has served in a variety of roles including case management, reception & placement, education, and employment services. Issa has assisted forced migrant communities in Alaska, Missouri, Oregon, and Kansas, allowing her to bring a broader perspective to refugee services in both an urban and rural setting. Issa has served on national advisory councils for refugee education and her teaching was featured in the Center for Applied Linguistics “Cultural Orientation Training: A Guide for Service Providers.” Issa has a B.A. from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI and a M.Ed. in Teaching & Learning from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Through her teaching and resettlement experience, Issa has assisted clients from over 65 countries.

Slides - http://www.akwebguy.com/AUUF/Refugee%20Resettlement/

Shea Winterberger is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard and has served for 12 years, so far. She was born and raised in Anchorage. Commander Winterberger has been stationed in New London (CT), San Francisco (CA), Charleston (SC), Juneau (AK), Pensacola (FL), and Los Angeles (CA). She is currently stationed in Washington, D.C. A life-long Unitarian Universalist, Shea is grateful for the nation-wide UU community that has brought a sense of continuity to the constant upheaval of her military life. She would like to send a special shout out to those who have made her life a little easier: Anchorage UU Fellowship, All Souls UU Congregation, Unitarian Church in Charleston, Juneau UU Fellowship, UU Church of Pensacola, and UU Church of Long Beach.

A pdf of the slides used can be found here - https://www.dropbox.com/s/9bjaramit9dan9f/MemorialDay.pdf?dl=0

The Shores of Normandy - Jim Radford (D-Day 70 Years On) - Jim Radford died from COVID-19 on 6 November 2020, after spending three weeks in intensive care. He was 92. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOolfjkLoJw

George Jones song: 50,000 Names https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21q3gVyj8aA

Links for the government sites that track American MIA’s from WWII on: https://www.dpaa.mil/Our-Missing/Vietnam-War/ & https://www.dpaa.mil/Our-Missing/Past-Conflicts/

Dick Mandsager, M.D., has just completed a two-and-a-half-year stint on the Anchorage Homeless Leadership Council. He performed this public service as an executive on loan from the Rasmuson Foundation, after joining the Foundation as its first senior fellow in 2018. The son of a missionary and physician, Dr. Mandsager spent much of his youth in West Africa and was inspired to join the U.S. Public Health Service. He became a pediatrician and is a retired rear admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service. In 1985 he came to Alaska to lead the Alaska Native Medical Center. Within months the job had grown to include the building of an entirely new hospital and, in 1997, closing the old one. Among his other roles, he has served as director of the state Division of Public Health, head of The Children’s Hospital at Providence, and for nine years, as Providence Alaska Medical Center chief executive. Out of the office, he likes to read, bike, and cross-country ski.

Slides - https://www.akwebguy.com/AUUF/AnchorageHousing_and_ResponsSystem/#0