Digital Commons Network^™

Recruitment, Retention, And Retirement Plan Structure: Evidence From Teachers, Noah Burke, Brock Wilson

ISER Reports

In 2006, the State of Alaska closed its defined benefit retirement plan and required all newly hired public education employees—mostly teachers—to join a defined contribution plan. This paper examines whether that change in pension structure affected recruitment or retention in Alaska’s public education workforce.

West Susitna Access Road Project 2025 Cultural Resources Report: Culturally Modified Trees, Nicholas Maness

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) is undertaking the proposed West Susitna Access Road Project which aims to construct a new road that extends from West Susitna Parkway in Big Lake, Alaska through State Lands west of the Susitna River.  The project would include land clearing and construction of transportation infrastructure across waterways including the Little Susitna River, Fish Creek, Susitna River, and Alexander Creek.

The proposed project footprint lies in the traditional ancestral territory of several Upper Cook Inlet Alaska Native cultures, and project activities have the potential to adversely affect cultural and natural resources in …

Strontium Isotope Movement Modeling Of Modern And Ancient Megafauna In Alaska, Audrey Rowe

Biological Sciences

Strontium isotope analysis is a technique that can be used to infer the geographic origin of biological materials. The strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) of biological tissues can be matched to locations on a modeled strontium geographic distribution (“isoscape”) with similar 87Sr/86Sr. In this dissertation, I measured 87Sr/86Sr and other stable isotopes along the length of a mammoth tusk to model its lifetime movement and infer details about its food sources and nutritional status. I then adapted this modeling method to caribou tooth enamel to compare modern and premodern caribou space use in interior Alaska and built a new 87Sr/86Sr isoscape …

Community-Based, Culturally Relevant Stem: Engaging Rural And Indigenous Students Through Partnerships, Institutional Flexibility, And One Health, Ellen Chenoweth, Paul Cotter, Janice Straley, Kari Lanphier

Faculty, Staff, and Students

Rural and Indigenous students face many barriers to persistence in biomedical and STEM trajectories including poor access to science experiences, a dearth of relatable educational resources, and educational structures misaligned with rural and Indigenous student and community needs. Rural Alaska Students in One Health Research (RASOR) is designed to provide a positive first college experience for rural and Indigenous students. Key innovations include 1) a partnership between the University of Alaska and tribal governments to allow for culturally relevant, locallymentored research experiences and 2) a customizable program structure. We also surveyed adults in the region regarding attitudes about science, its …

Places Of Life, Places Of Death: Caves In Pre-Hispanic Huachichil Conscience In Northern Mexico, Kate Prashby

Indigenous Studies

In 1931, a US geologist took ten skulls from a pre-Hispanic burial cave in historic Huachichil territory in northeastern Mexico and brought them to a US museum. To assist in repatriation efforts, this thesis uses ethnoarchaeology to suggest how ancient Huachichiles may have used caves and what they may have believed about those caves. Drawing from ethnographic accounts from the US Southwest, Aridoamerica, and Mesoamerica, this thesis establishes two possible models of belief that Huachichil cosmology may have followed regarding caves. A second pre­ Hispanic Huachichil burial cave and its surrounding caves are also examined using participant observation and interviews …

A Zooarchaeological Analysis Of Far-North Goldrush-Era Sites, Amelia M. Jansen

Anthropology

The current accumulation of archaeological investigations at far-north Alaskan Goldrush sites either completely lack or severely underrepresent the faunal components. These data are vital and add context to past and future archaeological investigations by enabling more accurate and inclusive interpretations of life in the mining-related settlements of the far north. This research is an analysis of previously unidentified and partially identified faunal assemblages from Goldrush- era archaeological sites in Interior Alaska including Coldfoot, Fairbanks, Tofty, Wiseman, Eagle, Uhler Creek, and Marion Creek. The data generated from the analysis of these diverse sites and site types helps determine how animals were …

In Their Own Words: Exploring The Political Lives Of Women Legislators In Guam, Sarah G. Elmore-Hernandez

Anthropology

In 2018, Guam experienced a historic political transformation with the election of its first woman governor and a supermajority of women senators. This electoral outcome was widely framed as a feminist milestone, reinforcing dominant narratives that equate increased female representation with progressive policy advancements. This study critically examines these assumptions by shifting the focus from quantitative representation to the political strategies and lived experiences of Guam’s women lawmakers. Employing oral history interviews, this research investigates how lawmakers conceptualize their political roles, navigate institutional structures, and shape legislative agendas. The findings reveal that while many advocate for policy priorities traditionally associated …

Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices At West Valley High School, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, Connor Lehmkuhl

Anthropology

This research examines the pedagogical model of Culturally Responsive Education and how it is implemented in urban Alaska (Fairbanks). The main objective is to document the voices, perspectives, and opinions of individuals and schools who are engaged and/or interested in Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices at a time when the interest in this topic is growing. As a result, this thesis allows for a better understanding of these practices, as well as of their applicability to existing curricula. The main research questions are (1) What is the current understanding of Culturally Responsive Education among global studies teachers at West Valley High …

Russia's Historical Fate: Mapping Space, Time, And Salvation In Patriarch Kirill's Sermons, Brooke J. Barton

Linguistics

The relationship between the Russian State and Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) during Putin’s regime has been characterized as mutually beneficial. The most influential figure in the contemporary ROC is Kirill, the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’, who has worked with Putin to give Russia’s current nation-building project, Russkiĭ Mir ‘Russian World,’ a religious foundation. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine exists within this project, which Kirill has sought to sacralize in his sermons. In this thesis, Barton utilizes discourse analysis to examine how Kirill’s sermons justify Russian imperialism while also projecting a vision of the ROC within the national project. …

Analyzing The Effectiveness Of Maritime Policy For The Management Of Increasing Rates Of Vessel Traffic In The Bering Strait, Izabella Block

Theses and Dissertations

The Arctic is changing at a rapid pace, affecting virtually every aspect of life in the region, with major changes to sea ice, permafrost, and traditional lifestyles. These changes, in conjunction with globalization, have led to a rise in interest in the Arctic and accessing its resources. One considerable facet of accessing the Arctic is via maritime activity, with shorter transport times between Asia and Europe, fishing valuable stocks, and access to offshore oil and gas deposits. As countries such as Russia and China are intent on developing the Arctic and commercializing maritime trade routes, many living in the region …

Uas Academic Catalog 2025/2026, N/A N/A

UAS Academic Catalogs (2011-present)

No abstract provided.

Unearthing The History Of Plant Utilization: An Analysis Of Botanical Remains Collected From The Chena Townsite, Jodi Fouche

2025 Research and Creative Activity Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Christine Heller's Legacy And The Potential For Integration Of Traditional Knowledge Labels, Channing Buckmaster

2025 Research and Creative Activity Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Teaching Dena'ina Language Through Dena'ina Culturally Based Reading Practices, Joel Isaak Yes

Indigenous Studies

The Dena'ina language is a well-documented Northern Dene Alaska Native language in south-central Alaska. The Dena'ina language is on the brink of going to sleep. The Dena'ina community strongly desires for the Dena'ina language to once again thrive in the community. Language-use within the community is a contributing factor to the health of the community. As Dena'ina tribes work towards bringing back the Dena'ina language, the community grapples with the role of reading and writing, both potentially harmful and aiding community language work. A Classroom-Based Action Research qualitative study was conducted to determine if reading instruction in the Dena'ina language …

An Investigation Of Raciolinguistic Ideologies In Japanese Rap Battles, Morgan Reynolds

Linguistics

This thesis interrogates what are normally implicit linguistic ideologies surrounding who is a legitimate speaker of Japanese and how it implicates a relationship between ethnicity, nationality, culture, and language. Using a corpus of recorded rap battles from YouTube in which one of the rappers is known to be of non-Japanese or partially non-Japanese heritage, discourse analysis demonstrates how race, foreignness and otherness are made relevant in disses of opponents’ rap skill. The history and characteristics of Japanese rap are outlined with an eye toward how the conventions of the musical genre reflect preoccupations with creating a distinctly Japanese form of …

Long-Term Effects Of Group Rights To Fisheries: Evaluating The Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program, Matthew Berman

ISER Articles

Restricting access to fisheries and other common property resources through creation of individual transferable rights has been documented to create wealth and promote conservation, but has also reduced employment and increased inequality in fishing communities. Creating group rights instead of individual rights has been suggested as an alternative strategy that could realize the benefits with diminished social cost; however, little independent evaluation of actual implementations of group rights to fisheries has occurred. The Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) program represents an example of allocation of group fishery rights to six not-for-profit organizations representing 65 small, largely Indigenous coastal communities. …

Indigenous Use And Conservation Of Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina) At Yakutat, Alaska Since The Sixteenth Century, Aron L. Crowell, Judith Dax̱Ootsú Ramos, Michael A. Etnier

Faculty, Staff, and Students

Sustainable Indigenous resource use reflects balance between animal populations and levels of human consumption, influenced by natural cycles of faunal abundance, community size and subsistence needs, procurement technologies, and the requirements of trade or commodity production. Sustainability is “epiphenomenal” when animal populations are preserved, and community needs met, without deliberate measures to prevent overharvesting. Alternatively, Indigenous conservation—cultural practices that moderate use of a resource to prevent its depletion—may play a determinative role. In this study from the Tlingit community of Yakutat, Alaska in the Northwest Coast cultural region, we interweave Indigenous and scientific perspectives to trace the use and conservation …

Center For Safety Equity In Transportation (Cset) Baseline Data And Outreach, Nathan Belz, Billy Connor

CSET Project Reports

The research presented herein summarizes the research and education efforts conducted at the University of Alaska Fairbanks as part of the Outreach, Synthesis, and Baseline Data efforts promoted by the Center for Safety Equity in its first year of operation. These key areas were to effectively engage relevant parties needed for larger research efforts, better evaluate what work has been done and how effective existing programs are and establish a baseline using existing and relevant data to inform and evaluate CSET safety efforts and identify commonalities and differences in RITI safety needs across the consortium states. Dozens of outreach events …

Ballad Of The Laablaaqs: The Relational Worlds Of Sámi Reindeer Herders In Alaska, Varpu Lotvonen

Anthropology

The recruitment of Sami reindeer herders from North Sapmi to Alaska by the United States government, starting in 1894, opened a new transnational space between Fennoscandia and North America. Known for their deep Indigenous knowledge of reindeer herding, Sami experts were hired to pass on their art to Alaska Native apprentices and facilitate the expansion of reindeer herding in Alaska at the turn of the 20th century. The legacies of their involvement, which lasted until 1937, include family lines that unite people in Sapmi and North America, unique artistic expressions, broad circulation of visual culture, and multifaceted interest in Alaskan …

Rural–Urban Migration Of Alaska Indigenous Peoples: Changing Patterns And Drivers, Matthew Berman, Ruoqing Wang-Cendejas

ISER Articles

Migration from rural areas to urban population centers has long been associated with modernization; a pattern one might expect to accelerate as advancing climate change degrades rural land-based livelihoods. Does rural–urban migration of arctic Indigenous peoples follow a similar pattern? Has depopulation of rural arctic areas accelerated as climate-driven environmental change has intensified in the rapidly warming arctic? What are the main drivers of mobility, both historically and more recently? We address these questions through a review and synthesis of empirical studies of rural–urban migration of arctic Indigenous peoples using individual records over the past four decades, along with analysis …

A Rising Tide That Lifts All Boats: Long-Term Effects Of The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend On Poverty, Matthew Berman

ISER Articles

Although not designed as a social program to redistribute income, the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) has been reducing poverty by providing equal annual payments to nearly all state residents for over 40 years. We examine direct effects of the PFD on Alaska poverty rates since 1990, using US Census and American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample records to adjust for under-reporting of children's PFD income in official statistics. We estimate that the PFD reduced the number of Alaskans with incomes below the US poverty threshold by 20%–40%. We measure only a small effect on income distribution: a 0.02 …

Multi-Year Water Quality Analysis Of Surface Water From Yukon River Watershed, Harrison Hee

Engineering

The Yukon River has been monitored for water quality by the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) for the ongoing Indigenous Observation Network (ION) project (NSF Award Number 1753389) since 2006. Other studies have dated back even further, allowing researchers to see trends in tested analytes over time. The newest available data obtained in recent years has allowed researchers to look at the Yukon River Basin (YRB) comparatively to previously assumed trends with larger sample sizes per year and in a more modern view with updated knowledge of the data collected. In addition to previously tested parameters (hardness, sulfate, and …

Uas Academic Catalog 2024/2025, N/A N/A

UAS Academic Catalogs (2011-present)

No abstract provided.

Formerly Used Defense Sites On Unalaska Island, Alaska: Mapping A Legacy Of Environmental Pollution, Jennifer Schmidt

ISER Articles

Unalaska Island, Alaska, served as a US military base during World War II. The military installed bases on Unalaska and nearby islands, many of which were built adjacent to Unangan communities. The military used toxic compounds in its operations and left a legacy of pollution that may pose health risks to residents and local wildlife. The goals of this study were to identify hotspots of contamination remaining at Unalaska formerly used defense (FUD) sites, evaluate the risk posed by arsenic, and examine “no US Department of Defense action indicated” (NDAI) status determinations for FUD sites near communities. We compiled soil …

Woosh Jín Toolshát Yeisú, WeʼRe Still Holding Each OtherʼS Hands : Relationships And Revitalization In Lingít Country, Éedaa Heather Burge

Faculty, Staff, and Students

This dissertation examines the relationships the Lingít language revitalization movement has to concepts of gender, identity, organizations and academia. The Lingít language and the Lingít people reside within Southeast Alaska in the United States, as well as northern British Columbia and the southern Yukon territory in Canada. Relying on my own lived experience as a Lingít learner and educator, as well as interviews and conversations with Lingít community members, we discuss how relationality supports the larger goal of Lingít language and cultural revitalization. Specifically we talk about the role of women within the language movement, and what approaches can best …

Chena Townsite Repeat Photos, Marina Barbosa Santos, Justin Cramb, Ken Tape

2024 Research and Creative Activity Day Posters

This project utilizes repeat photography to support archeological efforts at the Chena Townsite, and to understand how the landscape has evolved since the town was abandoned. The project endeavors to contribute to the preservation of history, public education, and our understanding of land use changes.

Perceived Challenges To Tribally Led Shellfish Toxin Testing In Southeast Alaska: Findings From Key Informant Interviews, Hugh B. Roland, Jacob Kohlhoff, Kari Lanphier, Sneha Hoysala, Esther G. Kennedy, John R. Harley, Christopher Whitehead, Matthew O. Gribble

Faculty, Staff, and Students

Shellfish harvesting is central to coastal Alaska Native ways of life, and tribes in Southeast Alaska are committed to preserving sustainable and safe access to subsistence foods. However, consumption of non-commercially harvested shellfish puts Alaska Native communities at elevated risk of exposure to shellfish toxins. To address a lack of state or federal toxin testing for subsistence and recreational harvesting, tribes across Southeast Alaska have formed their own toxin testing and ocean monitoring program. In this study, we interviewed environmental managers responsible for tribes' testing and others with shellfish toxin expertise to report on perceptions of barriers to tribally led …

From Siberian Dawn To Midnight In Siberia: The Geopolitics Of Anglophone Travel Writing About Post-Soviet Siberia, Benjamin D. Christian

Arctic and Northern Studies

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 opened Siberia as a new "travelers' frontier." Travel writers seeking destinations unspoiled by the encroachment of global capitalism and the resultant "placeless" landscapes made Siberia the subject of numerous travel books. This thesis critically examines the geopolitical discourses embedded in those books. Through a close reading and discourse analysis of three representative samples spanning the post-Cold War period, it highlights the key tropes, images and discourses that Anglophone travel writers have deployed in their constructions of Russia as a geopolitical Other. Travel writers writing about Siberia during the post-Cold War period explicitly …

Preserving Reflections Of Ourselves: The Past, Present, And Future Of Alaska's Museums, Angela J. Linn

Anthropology

While museums are very good at collecting, preserving, documenting, and interpreting the histories of our communities, we have not done a very good job with our own histories. No comprehensive publication holistically examines the development of museums in Alaska, let alone looks critically at the "big three" (Alaska State Museums, University of Alaska Museum of the North, and the Anchorage Museum) with a goal of establishing a connection between the historical context, the individuals who shaped those museums, and the institutions' current states of being. This dissertation uses the academic fields of history, museology, and ethnography to discover and analyze …

Movement Ecology, Survival, And Territorial Dynamics In Canada Lynx (Lynx Canadensis) Over A Cyclic Population Decline, Derek Arnold

Biological Sciences

As the quintessential predator-prey cycle, research into Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) have led to many discoveries in population biology; however, much remains unknown about the nuances of their populations. In this dissertation, I examined the ways in which population cycles influence survival, reproduction, territoriality, and connectivity. First, I examined ways in which climate change induced shifts in fire regimes have affected lynx persistence in their current refugia. Lynx mainly sought out areas of higher hare density and lower cover, such as intermediately aged coniferous and deciduous forests. This type of forest was predicted to persist …