Short Takes for

MARCh 7, 1996

UAF Academic Named Teacher of the Year

Keith Crowder, associate professor of geology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Natural Sciences (CNS), has been named the 1995-96 CNS Introductory Level Teacher of the Year. According to CNS Dean Paul Reichardt, Crowder has demonstrated a rare ability to “breathe life” into introductory level science classes for a wide variety of students. Crowder’s highly organized and vividly illustrated presentations and his sense of humor have made his courses enjoyable learning experiences in critical introductory courses, according to Reichardt. Crowder is credited with making geoscience one of UAF’s most popular disciplines and for attracting geology majors.

Contact: Paul Reichardt, Dean College of Natural Sciences,

(907) 474-7941.

UAF Admissions Counselor Elected To National Student Exchange Organization

Saichi T. Oba, admissions counselor in UAF’s office of admissions and records, was elected to a three-year term as the National Student Exchange (NSE) Council Northwest Region representative. As a part of NSE’s membership expansion plans, Oba will help the organization contact major research institutions and those colleges and universities that enhance opportunities for multiculturalism. Since 1968, NSE has provided more than 40,000 students with the opportunity to attend college in other states, allowing them to expand their educational experience without having to pay high out-of-state tuition.

Contact: Saichi T. Oba, Office of Admissions and Records,

(907) 474-6231.

UAF Director Provides Editorial

JoAnn Ducharme, director of UAF’s Rural Student Services, provided the guest editorial for the “Winds of Change” 10-year anniversary issue. The national publication is dedicated to American Indian education and opportunity issues. Ducharme’s editorial focused on the questions and answers today’s Native American students are seeking about their educational future.

Contact: JoAnn Ducharme, RSS, (907) 474-7871.

Museum Director’s Book Listed in Top 75 Publications

Aldona Jonaitis, director of the University of Alaska Museum, had her book “Chiefly Feasts: The Enduring Kwakiutl Potlatch” listed as one of the University of Washington Press’ 75 most notable books. In honor of the UW Press’ 75 anniversary, it compiled the list spanning the period from 1920 through 1995.

Contact: Aldona Jonaitis, UA Museum of the North, (907) 474-7505.

UAF Graduate Student’s Work Recognized in Canada

UAF Music Department graduate student Christopher Geyer’s “Introduction to Graduate Studies” research project will become part of the collections of two Canadian libraries. The University of Alberta in Edmonton and the Canadian Music Centre’s Collection at the University in Calgary will receive copies of Geyer’s “Violet Archer and Bela Bartok: A Biography of Two Composers Influenced by Folk Music.” His project includes a lengthy oral history interview with Violet Archer, one of Canada’s leading composers and the only person to have studied with both the Romanian composer Bartok, and the German composer Paul Hindemith.

Contact: Suzanne Summerville, Professor UAF Music Department,

(907) 474-5113.

Retired UAF Professor Finds a New Generation of Readers

Arnold Griese, a UAF professor of education, emeritus, re-released in paperback his two classic Native Alaska children’s books “At the Mouth of the Luckiest River” and “The Wind Is Not a River.” Originally published in 1969 and 1978 respectively, the books were re-released after the favorable reception of his latest book “Anna’s Athabaskan Summer,” which increased interest in Native Alaskan cultures. Griese settled in Alaska in 1951 after accepting a teaching position in the Athabaskan village of Tanana, and his growing appreciation of and affection for Native Alaskan folklore and traditional lifestyles has kept him a lifelong Alaska resident. Griese taught at UAF from 1960 - 1980.

Contact: Arnold Griese, (907) 474-0482

UAF Assistant Professor Appointed to National Science Committee

Tom Weingartner, assistant professor at UAF’s Institute of Marine Science, has been appointed to the National Science Foundation’s Arctic System Science (ARCSS) Ocean/Atmosphere/Ice Interaction (OAII) Steering Committee. Weingartner will advise the foundation on future arctic oceanographic research and is the scientific liaison between OAII and the ARCSS Dimensions of the Arctic System initiative. Weingartner will help further ARCSS mission to understand the physical, chemical, biological and social processes of the arctic system that contribute to or are influenced by global change. This knowledge will help scientists predict environmental change on a decade-to-centuries time scale, and allow them to formulate policy options in response to anticipated impacts of changing climate on humans and social systems.

Contact: Tom Weingartner, IMS, (907) 474-7993