Sitka Office of Continuing Education
Sitka Student Accounts
Mon - Fri: 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sat - Sun: closed
Sitka Student Success Center
Mon - Fri: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sat - Sun: closed
Appointments for Advising, Testing, and Tutoring are strongly recommended.
Sitka Records and Registration
1332 Seward Avenue
Sitka, AK 99835
| ↑ Administration | |
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 Assistant Director Business Services and Special Projects Phone: 747-7733 Email: jmhanson@alaska.edu Sitka Director's Office Sitka Campus | |
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| ↑ Staff | |
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 Academic Affairs Faculty Support Office Manager Phone: 747-7709 , Fax: 747-7731 Email: kcdavis@alaska.edu Sitka Campus Education:B.L.A. University of Alaska Southeast Juneau 2017 | |
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 Evening Coordinator and IT Support Technician Phone: 747-7757 , Second Phone: 907-747-9444 Email: edelsensohn@alaska.edu | |
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 Instructional Designer Phone: (907) 747-7725 Email: jfingmanjr@alaska.edu Sitka Campus Education:B.S. Music, University of Oregon MS Instructional Design, Quinnipiac University Other:Supports faculty in design and development of e-Learning courses. | |
 Recruitment and Outreach, Fisheries Technology Phone: 747-7758 Email: amlaffrey@alaska.edu Career Education: Fisheries Technology Sitka Campus Education:
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 Tutor: Science, Writing Phone: 747-7786 Email: meredick@alaska.edu Student Success Center Sitka Campus Education:B.A Molecular Biophysics and Biochemitry and B.A English Literature | |
 Testing and Student Services Coordinator Phone: 747-7721 , Fax: 747-7793 Email: aroles@alaska.edu Student Success Center Sitka Campus Office Hours:8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday Education:A.A.S. University of Alaska Southeast B.B.A. University of Alaska Southeast Affiliations:Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Student Chapter President (2018-present) SHRM Student Chapter Treasurer/Social Media Director/Vice President (2017-2018) SHRM Student Chapter President (2018-2019) Courses Taught:Stained Glass | |
Support Specialist Phone: (907) 747-7772 Email: erosenthal@alaska.edu Sitka Campus Education:B.A. Psychology, University of Maryland (2015) | |
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 Academic Advisor Phone: 747-7707 Email: ktsill@alaska.edu Student Success Center Sitka Campus Education:M.A. International Education B.A. International Studies B.A. Creative Writing Affiliations:NAFSA: Association of International Educators | |
 Academic Advisor Phone: 747-7781 Email: cstromme@alaska.edu Student Success Center Sitka Campus Other:Advising specialties: Health Information Management, Pre-Nursing, Health Science, and Medical Assisting degrees | |
 Term Assistant Professor of Support Services Phone: (907) 747-7773 Email: sjtomczuk@alaska.edu Juneau Campus Office Hours:By appointment Education:
Research:
Publications:
Biography:Dr. Sara J. Tomczuk holds master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology from the University of Washington. Informed by literature on intergroup contact and social movements, she investigates interethnic relations, especially the work of ethnic activist organizations. Her work on majority-Roma relations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia examines the intersections of race, inequality, and civil society, aiming to better understand activism in a setting of high social segregation. Further, this expertise informs her approach to teaching and in creating an inclusive learning environment. Before joining UAS in 2021, Dr. Tomczuk taught sociology and liberal education courses at UW, North Seattle College, and Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany. From 2018 through 2020, she managed the European grant CREATES, a strategic partnership between six universities aimed at making higher education more co-creative, engaging, and student-centered. Dr. Tomczuk believes innovative pedagogy should be inclusive and universally designed, as well as a collaborative and community-based experience. | |
 AmeriCorps RASOR Phone: 747-7779 Email: mkwright4@alaska.edu Sitka Campus Education:Bachelor of Arts, Coastal Environmental Science, received from Flagler College, in 2020 Bachelor of Arts, International Studies, with a focus in Political Science, received from Flagler College, in 2020
Research:Potential Hotspots and Habitats of the Diamond-Backed Terrapin- 2019 Flagler College Coastal Environmental Science Capstone Symposium, Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana and the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Tribe" - 2019 Pulitzer Center Campus Consortium, Hügelkultur Garden Development" - 2018 Community Service Project Biography:I am serving at UAS for one year through Sitka AmeriCorps.I am excited to be a part of a great team, as we work with high school juniors and seniors for the RASOR program, working with Dr. Ellen Chenoweth. I will also be conducting research with squid and whale samples with Dr. Lauren Wild. I plan to be doing a lot of hiking, kayaking, and boat trips to gain a better understanding of Sikta. | |
| ↑ Faculty | |
 Assistant Professor of Biology Phone: 747-7749 Email: bnbahna@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences Sitka Campus Education:M.D., DPH, Ain Shams University, Egypt M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas | |
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 Program Director of Health Information Management Phone: 747-7746 Email: tlbell@alaska.edu Sitka Campus Education:BBA, University of Alaska Southeast AAS in HIM, University of Alaska Southeast Certifications: Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), AHIMA
Certified Procedural Coder (CPC), AAPC
Certified Inpatient Coder, (CIC), AAPC
Certified Outpatient Coder, (COC), AAPC
Biography:Terissia begin her career at Sitka Medical Center working in the medical records department. She took advantage of the opportunity to start working the front desk and then moving to the accounts receivable department. While at Sitka Medical Center she earned her Bachelors in Business Administration and obtained her Certified Procedural Coding Certificate. She worked at Sitka Medical Center for over 20 years and then Terissia took the Health Information Managers job at Sitka Community Hospital where she worked for 5 years. While working at the hospital Terissia obtained her Registered Health Information Administrator certification through AHIMA and passed the exams for her Certified Inpatient Coder and Certified Outpatient Coder through AAPC. Terissia is excited to start her new career as the HIM Program Director at the University of Alaska Southeast. She hopes to bring real world experiences and examples into the teaching environment and is looking forwarded to directing and teach new students entering the HIM field. Terissia has lived in Sitka for over 20 years. She enjoys fishing, boating, camping and spending time with family. She has a husband that works for the Coast Guard as a civilian employee and an adult son that resides in Fairbanks and is pursing an electricians license. The family pet is an 8 year old dachshund who loves to play fetch. | |
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 Professor of Biology Phone: 747-7702 Email: mdchapman@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences Sitka Campus Education:M.S. Biology University of St. Joseph (Focus: Human Biology) 2008 Special Recognition:UA President’s Award for Outstanding Distance Educator in Alaska (2001) Courses Taught:BIOL 111 Human Anatomy & Physiology I Past Courses Taught:Microbiology, Natural History of Alaska, Intertidal Biology, General Biology, Biology & Society, Biography:I’m originally from Northern California and lived in Bethel and Skagway before moving to Sitka in 1992. I enjoy helping students build a firm foundation in the topic that will serve them well in their careers. I am active in the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS). As part of HAPS I helped develop standards for undergraduate human anatomy and physiology courses taught in the US and Canada. I am committed to quality eLearning opportunities and developed and delivered the first distance science courses offered by UAS. As Sitka’s lab director I currently help oversee the lab support portion of UAS Sitka Distance Science courses which have grown to involve multiple faculty members and currently serve over 200 students each semester. I believe it is important to give back to my community by doing what I can to enrich science literacy, assist in community-based scientific research, and help create science-related opportunities for everyone, especially K-12 students. Community Projects:
I am particularly interested in the ecology and functional anatomy of intertidal organisms, especially with respect to predator-prey relationships. I am also very involved in marine invasive issues and research, particularly with respect to invasive tunicates. I am a member of the Alaska Marine Invasive Species subcommittee and the Didemnum vexillum Rapid Response Team. | |
 Adjunct, Biology Phone: 907-747-7791 Email: emchenoweth@alaska.edu Sitka Campus Office Hours:Available upon request. Education:Ph.D. in Fisheries, University of Alaska Fairbanks Research:
Affiliations:University of Alaska Fairbanks Research Advising and Mentoring Professional Courses Taught:
Biography:Ellen grew up in East Lansing, Michigan and has a bachelor's degree in Biology from Kalamazoo College. She got her start working with humpback whales in Glacier Bay National Park summers during college. After graduation, Ellen moved to Sitka in 2009 to work in Jan Straley's Cetacean-Human Interaction Lab. In August she earned her Ph.D in Fisheries from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, which she completed while studying in Sitka and Juneau. Her dissertation focuses on the bioenergetic and economic impacts of humpback whales feeding on juvenile salmon at hatchery release sites. Ellen enjoys sea kayaking, camping, astronomy and usually plays 3rd base in the Sitka city softball league. As a Research Advising and Mentorship Professional with the UAF BLaST program she mentors students in research. | |
Welding Technology Assistant Phone: 747-7711 Email: dsclarke@alaska.edu Career Education: Welding Sitka Campus | |
 Associate Professor, Health Information Management Phone: 747-9477 Email: skfeero@alaska.edu Career Education: Health Sciences Sitka Campus Education:B.A. University of Hawaii - Hilo M.Ed. University of Alaska Southeast | |
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 Associate Professor of Biology Phone: 747-9432 Email: kllabounty@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences Sitka Campus Education:B.S. University of Washington M.S. University of California at Riverside | |
 Professor of Mathematics Phone: 747-7792 Email: jbliddle@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences Sitka Campus Education:
Other:At UAS since 1996 | |
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 Assistant Professor and Program Director Phone: 747-7760 Email: jamarkis@alaska.edu Career Education: Fisheries Technology Sitka Campus http://www.fishtechalaska.com/ Education:B.S. Montana State University M.S. University of Alaska Fairbanks Affiliations:
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Biography:Growing up in Southcentral Alaska, Joel was continuously exposed to the outdoors and fisheries. After graduating from Bartlett High School in Anchorage, he pursued a growing passion for fisheries by attending Montana State University in Bozeman, MT, where he honed his skiing and fly fishing skills, but also received a B.S. in Fish and Wildlife Management. During his senior year at MSU Joel participated in the National Student Exchange attending Florida International University in Miami Florida. While at FIU Joel studied marine biology and tropical ecology and tied it all together attaining his Master SCUBA Diver certification. After graduating, the newfound knowledge allowed Joel to work various fisheries jobs all over Alaska, traveling to exotic places all under the context of 'work.' After spending time in places like Katmai, Aniakchak, Kenai Fjords, Denali, the Tongass, and Wrangell St. Elias he decided to pursue a graduate degree in Marine Biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks where he used SCUBA to study the nearshore fish and habitat complexity in Kachemak Bay. Before coming to the UA system, Joel worked for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, helping manage sportfish resources in southcentral Alaska and then working as a research fisheries biologist with the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve in Homer, AK. While there he studied marine ecology and questions pertaining to fish habitat use in the nearshore environment. Joel also coordinated a nationwide water quality and meteorological monitoring project and worked on hardshell clam recruitment and growth studies focused on determining the timing of spawning, recruitment and growth of pacific littleneck clams. Joel has been with the Fisheries Technology Program since 2013 when he was an outreach coordinator and adjunct faculty at the Homer, AK campus. Since moving to Sitka, AK in 2014 Joel has worked into a tenured track position and now directs the Fisheries Technology Program. In his free time, Joel enjoys backcountry skiing, fishing, sailing, is an avid SCUBA diver and dive instructor, and generally likes spending time outside. He is passionate about teaching and Alaskan fisheries. Joel currently lives in Sitka with his two young daughters and wife Courtney. | |
 Assistant Professor of Biology Phone: 747-7752 Email: jmart118@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences Sitka Campus Education:B.S., M.S. Portland State University | |
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 Assistant Professor, Welding Technology Phone: 747-7711 Email: adpuckett@alaska.edu Career Education: Welding Sitka Campus Education:AWS Certification in Welding Education AWS Certification in Welding Inspection | |
 Asst. Professor, Construction Technology Phone: 747-7730 Email: gareynolds@alaska.edu Career Education: Construction Sitka Campus | |
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 Associate Professor and Program Director, Medical Assisting Phone: 747-7748 Email: aksamuel@alaska.edu Career Education: Health Sciences Sitka Campus Education:A.S. Whatcom Community College B.A. University of Alaska Fairbanks M.Ed University of Alaska Anchorage | |
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 Professor of Marine Biology Phone: 747-7779 Email: jmstraley@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences Sitka Campus Education:B.S. University of Washington Seattle M.S. University of Alaska Fairbanks | |
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 Associate Professor of English Phone: 907-747-7723 Email: mmtraftonii@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Humanities Sitka Campus Education:Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, University of Colorado at Boulder M.A. in Comparative Literature, University of Colorado at Boulder M.A. in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing, University of Colorado at Boulder B.A. in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing, University of Colorado at Boulder B.S. in Computer Science, University of Colorado at Boulder Courses Taught:
Biography:Dr. Trafton began teaching at UAS in 2013. Before that, he taught at the University of Colorado, where he earned his degree in Comparative Literature. His dissertation, “The Ghostmodern: Revisionist Haunting in Turn-of-the-Century American Literature (1887-1910),” explores complexities in American ghost literature and how a shift in some treatments of literary haunting prefigure a corresponding shift from Realism to Modernism and beyond. Beyond ghost stories, Dr. Trafton is interested in such topics as flash fiction, the modern love letter, cinema, feminist studies, the avant-garde, and postcolonialism. In the classroom, Dr. Trafton is committed to empowering students through rigorous interdisciplinary exercises that challenge students according to their interests and their abilities. He strives to support students in developing the experience, confidence, and skills to discover their voice and to use it effectively. Conversely, in all of his classes, he also challenges his students to widen their analytical perspectives and to listen thoughtfully before speaking. Dr. Trafton has deeply valued his time in Sitka, and he sees himself henceforth as a lifelong Alaskan. He enjoys the ocean, the lush vegetation, the closeness to the natural world, and the closeness to the community. He lives in Sitka with his wife and his daughter, along with the family pets—dog and rabbit. | |
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 Assistant Professor of Fisheries Technology Phone: 907-747-7799 Email: lawild@alaska.edu Career Education: Fisheries Technology Sitka Campus Office Hours:Monday through Friday 9am to 4pm or by appointment. Education:PhD in Fisheries, University of Alaska Fairbanks (2020) M.S. in Marine Mammal Science, University of St. Andrews (2013) B.A. in International and Global Studies, Brandeis University (2009) Research:Sperm whale interactions with longline fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska, 2009-Present
Humpback whale long-term monitoring in Sitka Sound, 2007-present
Publications:Wild, L.A., Chenoweth, E.M, Straley, J.M., Mueter, F. (2018). “Evidence of dietary time series in cetacean skin using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios.” Rapid Comm. Mass Spec. 32, 1425-1428. Wild, L.A., Thode, A.M., Straley, J.M., Rhoads, S., Falvey, D., and Liddle, J. (2017). “Field trials of an acoustic decoy to attract sperm whales away from commercial longline fishing vessels in western Gulf of Alaska.” Fish. Res. 196 141-150. Thode, A., Wild, L.A., Straley, J.M., et al. (2016). “Using line acceleration to measure false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) click and whistle source levesl during pelagic longline depredation.” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 140, 3941. Thode, A.M., Straley, J.M., O’Connell, V., Behnken, L., Falvey, D., Mathias. D.K., Wild, L.A., Calambokidis, J., Schorr, G.S., Andrews, R.D., Liddle, J.B., Lunsford, C. (2015). “Cues, creaks, and decoys: using passive acoustic monitoring as a tool for studying sperm whale depredation.” ICES J. Mar. Sci. 72(5) 1621-1637. O’Connell, V., Straley, J.M., Liddle, J.B., Wild, L.A., Behnken, L., Falvey, D., Thode, A.M. (2015). “Testing a passive deterrent on longlines to reduce sperm whale depredation in the Gulf of Alaska.” ICES J. Mar. Sci. 72(5) 1667-1672. Straley, J.M., Thode, A.M., O’Connell, V., Behnken, L., Falvey, D., Liddle, J.B., Wild, L.A. (2015). “Southeast Alaska Sperm Whale Avoidance Project (SEASWAP): A successful collaboration among scientists and industry to study depredation in Alaskan waters.” ICES J. Mar. Sci. 72(5): 1598-1609. Wild, L.A., Gabriele, C.M. (2014). “Putative contact calls made by humpback whales (megaptera novaeangliae) in southeastern Alaska.” Can. Bioacoust. 42, 23-31. Thode, A., Wild, L.A., Mathias, D.K., Straley, J.M., and Lunsford, C. (2014). “A comparison of acoustic and visual metrics of sperm whale longline depredation.” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 135(5), 3086-3100. Wild, L.A., Straley, J.M., Witteveen, B., Mueter, F.J. (2020). "Exploring variability in depredating sperm whale diets in the Gulf of Alaska through stable isotope analysis." Royal Soc. Open Sci. 7: 191110. Affiliations:SMM (Society for Marine Mammalogy) AFS (American Fisheries Society) Alaska Chapter AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Courses Taught:Biology 193 - Introduction to Stable Isotope Techniques in Research Biology 294 - Stable Isotope Analysis in Ecological Research Practicum FT 120 - Fisheries of Alaska FT 274 - Fisheries Biology OCN 101 - Introduction to Oceanography Biography:Lauren was born and raised in Sitka, in Southeast Alaska. She spent most of her childhood on the water and in the mountains, camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, and exploring the outdoors. After graduating from Sitka High School she attended Brandeis University in Boston, Massachusetts, where she graduated with a B.A. in International and Global Studies, and a minor in Mathematics. During a study abroad semester in Madagascar, Lauren became interested in marine science and whale research, so she began volunteering for Jan Straley, a professor of Biology and whale researcher at the UAS Sitka Campus. In 2009 she returned to Southeast Alaska and was hired by Professor Straley as a research technician on the Southeast Alaska Sperm Whale Avoidance Project (SEASWAP), a collaborative project of fishermen, scientists, and fisheries managers working to better understand sperm whale interactions with commercial longline fishing vessels. Throughout her tenure with SEASWAP, Lauren worked as an acoustic technician and obtained a master’s degree in Marine Mammal Science at the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland, where she studied with some of the top sperm whale acousticians in the world. SEASWAP also introduced her to the world of fisheries in Alaska, and she became fascinated with the cultural and career importance of this field. She went back to school and received her Ph.D. in Fisheries from the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences, graduating in May 2020. Lauren grew up around the fishing industry in Sitka, with many family and friends earning their living on the water. In her free time, Lauren can be found hiking, camping, fishing, or hunting with family, friends, her husband Evan, and her dog Nysa. | |
 Assistant Professor of Art Phone: 747-7710 Email: eszacher@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Humanities Sitka Campus Education:B.F.A. The Hartford Art School M.F.A. Ohio University | |
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