Faculty and Staff
Larry Roberts
Faculty Advisor
Larry’s academic and professional background includes direct clinical, administrative, and teaching experience in the fields of community mental health, substance abuse treatment and prevention, cultural attunement and diversity, community and program development, adult learning and teaching, and behavioral health workforce development. He has lived and worked in Alaska since 1982 with most of that time in rural and frontier communities including over 15 years in Tok and 6 years in Bethel . His present assignment under the UAF Justice Program is with the Alaska Rural Behavioral Health Training Academy where he coordinates the work-force development project in the Norton Sound Region, directs the annual Lily Arctic Institute on Innovations & Excellence in Teaching conference in Fairbanks, and helps coordinate rural training activities for the Geriatric Education Program for much of the interior, western, and northern Alaska. He holds a M.Ed. in Counseling from Texas Christian University and is a Ph.D. candidate of psychology at North Central University . He is an active member of the Pathways Into Health organization and network, the National Association of Rural Mental Health, the University of Alaska Behavioral Health Alliance , and the DELTA Task force on the prevention of Intimate Partner Violence.
Julie Smith
Director
Julie has lived and worked in Fairbanks, Alaska for 25 years as an attorney, mediator, and non-profit director. For two years she was Executive Director of the Fairbanks Center for Conflict Resolution where she provided victim offender mediation for the Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice. Julie helped launch two mediation programs in the Alaska Court System, and served on a Department of Corrections Victim Offender Mediation committee. She also provided peer mediation training to students in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. Julie is the Director of the Alaska Rural Behavioral Health Training Academy where she is involved in efforts to provide training to behavioral health providers who serve rural Alaska.
Shalen Bezona
Program Coordinator
Shalen is a life-long Fairbanks resident who has collectively worked in the unversity system for 18 years. She brings to the Academy a fresh perspective in providing accessibility to rural health care providers especially with regard to logistical issues faced by students in remote areas. She has a strong background in student assistance as well as academic and administrative support. Shalen joined the team in February of 2009.
Jennilee L. Kangas
Administrative Assistant
Office: 510 2nd Avenue, Suite 301
(907) 474-7011
JLKangas@alaska.edu