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Jessica Ross, an alumni of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ's dental hygiene program and current assistant professor in the Department of Human Services, was recently honored with the K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award. The award recognizes emerging leaders in higher education who demonstrate a commitment to innovation, equity, and community engagement.

Tara Schmidt is an alumna of the Division of Population Health Sciences Master of Public Health program. In this spotlight, she reflects on how her time at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ shaped her career path—from the relationships that opened doors and guided her forward to the unexpected milestones.

Human Services alumna Billie Slaikeu knows a thing or two about what it means to start over. A retired certified nursing assistant, Billie returned to school in her sixties after being inspired by her daughter’s experience with mental illness. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2025.

As a neonatal nurse practitioner at Providence Alaska Children’s Hospital and adjunct faculty member for the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ School of Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice alumna and graduate student hooding ceremony speaker for the fall Class of 2025 Stacy Brunquist weaves education into everything she does — training new caregivers, guiding parents learning to care for their newborns, and sharing knowledge with professionals from UtqiaÄ¡vik to Sitka.

A College of Health alumna and current employee of the Alaska Justice Information Center, Rus’sel Sampson has had a rich educational and professional journey. Her story exemplifies how a sense of curiosity in higher education can open unexpected doors that lead to meaningful careers.

School of Nursing alumna Kristen Alcorn turned clinical expertise into entrepreneurial success. In this spotlight, Kristen shares a few of the experiences that shaped her journey in nursing, the things she loves about her job, and how her education at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ helped her achieve her goals.

Amanda Beery, MD, is not only providing care for women of all ages; she’s also shaping the next generation of physicians. A full-time OB/GYN and managing partner at Alaska Women’s Health, she is equally proud to call herself an Alaska WWAMI alum and medical educator.

Darrel Foister Jr., School of Nursing alum and military veteran, now serves Alaska communities as a family nurse practitioner.

Over the course of 18 months, Fulbright Arctic Initiative Scholar and public health practice alumna Mariah Seater will be traveling to Iceland to research family justice centers in the Arctic with the hopes of applying her findings to Alaska communities.

Division of Population Health Sciences alumna By Thao has been named one of Alaska’s 2025 Top Forty Under 40.