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UAS Celebrates 2019 Faculty Excellence, Promotions, and Tenure

It is with great pride that the University of Alaska Southeast announces the recent promotion and/or tenure of our esteemed faculty, as well as the 2019 Faculty Excellence Awards. Please join UAS as we congratulate them.

Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Alaska

Date of Press Release: August 12, 2019

It is with great pride that the University of Alaska Southeast announces the recent promotion and/or tenure of our esteemed faculty, as well as the 2019 Faculty Excellence Awards. Please join UAS as we congratulate them.

Dr. Heather Batchelder has been promoted to Associate Professor of Education with tenure in the Alaska College of Education on the UAS Juneau campus. Dr. Batchelder holds a Ph.D. and Master’s degree in Education from the University of Central Florida, and a B.S. in Telecommunication from the University of Florida.

Dr. Charla Brown has been promoted to Associate Professor of Human Resource Management with tenure in the Department of Business and Public Administration, School of Arts and Sciences at the UAS Juneau campus. Dr. Brown holds a Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology from Brigham Young University in Utah, a Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and a B.A. in Psychology from Lamar University in Texas.

Julie Hamilton has been promoted to Associate Professor of Accounting within the Department of Business and Public Administration, School of Arts and Sciences at the UAS Juneau Campus. Ms. Hamilton earned her M.B.A. from the University of Alaska, as well as a B.S. in Accounting from Arizona State University. She is a Certified Public Accountant. Ms. Hamilton was also honored in May with the UAS Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching.

Dr. Erica Hill has been promoted to Full Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences at the UAS Juneau campus. She received her Ph.D. and Master’s degree in Anthropology from the University of New Mexico and also holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Medieval History and Archeology from the University of Florida. Dr. Hill is also a Fulbright Scholar.

Dr. Alberta Jones was promoted to Associate Professor of Education in the Alaska College of Education at the UAS Juneau campus. She holds a Ph.D. in Indigenous Studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Alaska Anchorage, a Master’s degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Educational Technology from UAS, and a B.A. in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Natural Sciences from UAS. Dr. Jones was also honored in May with the UAS Faculty Excellence Award for Service.

Kitty LaBounty has been promoted to Associate Professor of Biology at the UAS Sitka campus. Ms. LaBounty holds a Master of Science degree in Plant Physiology from the University of California and a B.S. in Science from the University of Washington.

Colleen McKenna has been promoted to Full Professor of Information Systems in the Department of Business and Public Administration, School of Arts and Sciences at the UAS Juneau campus. Ms. McKenna holds two Master’s degrees, one in Information Systems from the University of Illinois and another in Library Science and Information Systems from Florida State University. She earned her B.A. in Journalism from St. Michael’s College in Vermont.

Dr. Andrzej Piotrowski has been promoted to Full Professor of Mathematics in the Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Science at the UAS Juneau campus. Dr. Piotrowski holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Hawaii, as well as a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of New Hampshire.

Dr. John Radzilowski has been promoted to Full Professor of History at the UAS Ketchikan campus. He earned his Ph.D. in History from Arizona State University, specializing in Modern U.S. History, Russia/Eastern Europe, and Public History. He also holds a B.A. in History from Southwest Minnesota State University.

Dr. Lora Vess has been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of Social Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences at the UAS Juneau campus. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Oregon. She holds a Master’s degree in Applied Sociology from Northern Arizona University, and a B.A. in Communication Studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Emily Wall has been promoted to Full Professor of English in the Department of Humanities, School of Arts and Sciences at the UAS Juneau campus. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Literary Arts from the University of Arizona and holds two B.A. degrees from Maine’s Colby College, in English Literature and German.

Dr. Alison Ziegler has been promoted to Associate Professor of Psychology with tenure at the UAS Ketchikan campus. She holds a Ph.D., M.S. and B.A. degrees in Psychology from the University of Michigan.

The Faculty Advising Award went to Dr. Eran Hood, Professor of Environmental Science. The Research and Creative Activity Award was presented to Ernestine Hayes. Ms. Hayes was also honored during the 2019 Commencement ceremony with emeritus faculty status upon retirement.

At the May 6, 2019 ceremony, recipients of the Regents’ Adjunct Awards for excellence in adjunct instruction were also celebrated. Sherry Hassell received the award for her work in Accounting instruction for the Fall of 2017; Patricia Belec for Physical Education in Spring 2018; Melissa Cruise for Psychology in the Fall of 2018; and Robbie Jensen for Woodworking instruction during the Spring 2019 semester.

Learn more about the faculty and degree programs available at the University of Alaska Southeast.

Additional Resources

Press Release Contact

Keni Campbell
University of Alaska Southeast
(907) 796-6509
klcampbell4@alaska.edu