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 watching planes take off from the New Orleans airport runway, why you need a strong poker face when playing with children, and recounts a lovely Christmas story that perfectly encapsulates his roles as a pilot and as Santa.

Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.

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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 Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.

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Mana in Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, translates to inheritance. It is also the title of an exhibit 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 preserving our histories.

Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.

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After a record-breaking season for Seawolf volleyball, English alumna, former student-athlete and longtime assistant coach Stacie Meisner closed the year with a promotion to head coach. The seventh head coach in program history, Stacie took the reins over from Chris Green, 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 Music.

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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 Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Most recently, he served as additional second assistant director on the upcoming Shazam! Fury of the Gods for DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures.

In this episode, D.K. talks about his move to Hollywood, his advice for breaking into the movie industry, and the early days of Anchorage's underground independent filmmaking scene.

Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.

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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.

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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, and even feelings of grief or loss.

Funded by $1.5 million from a 2020 alcohol tax in Anchorage, the Mobile Crisis Team includes two units operating 10 hours a day, seven days a week. Each unit comprises a licensed clinician and a paramedic. The earliest of these units consists of clinician Jennifer Pierce, a clinical psychology alumna, and paramedic Michael Riley, a fire service administration alumnus.

In this episode, Jennifer and Michael talk about their respective backgrounds as a police officer and firefighter, what sets the Mobile Crisis Team apart from other emergency first responders, and how they hope the program will continue to grow.

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"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 retention coordinator, where she guides kids like she used to be on their own journeys to higher education.

In this episode, Eva talks about the mission and history of TRIO, how her education and career have brought her life full circle, and the unique challenges faced by first-generation college students.

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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 author, radio host and advocate.

In this episode, E.J. talks about the culture shock he experienced after moving to Alaska from the Philippines, the importance of studying psychology from immigrant and indigenous perspectives, and how we can pass on our heritages to future generations.

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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.

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