Outstanding Student of the Year
Every year the College of Liberal Arts asks each department to select their outstanding student(s) for that year- students who possess the passion and creativity for new discoveries and scholarship, students who demonstrate independence of thought and action in the pursuit of knowledge, and students who exemplify excellence.
The Department of Anthropology has chosen the following as students who embodies these qualities and so much more. Thank you for all your hard work and contributions to your department. You make a difference at UAF.
Congratulations to our 2026 Outstanding Students of the Year!
"Anthropology is really important, especially right now, where we're so globalized we can send messages across the globe in an instant. Anthropology bridges those cultural boundaries in a way. It's the study of humans, it's the study of humanity, but also, it's more than just this holistic view. It can be really important to smaller Indigenous groups in the wake of colonialism. It can be very important for their revitalization efforts, or just making a bridge between 'government' and these smaller groups."
"To me, the liberal arts are just a more creative side of science. I originally came to UAF majoring in biology, and anthropology just appealed to me way more than the far more rigid nature of natural sciences. And being able to learn about our world and the amazing diversity there is in people, ideas, and different cultures has really expanded my mind and given me a whole new perspective on the world. I just think that liberal arts have much more opportunity for creative endeavors, and being able to express yourself, and have much more opportunity for that."
"My experience in the anthropology department at UAF has just been incredibly supportive. Everyone that I meet in lectures, at events, every instructor that I speak to is always so excited to learn about what interests you, where you want to go after you graduate, what kind of classes you're interested in. I think the diverse experiences that you hear in anthropology are also super important. Of course, the whole subject is based on cross-cultural learning, but the students and the faculty all come from such different backgrounds, and with unique experiences."
Always Outstanding
2025-2026
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- Emily Owens
- Jackson Magie
- Matia Wartes
2024-2025
2023-2024
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- Evan Taylor
2022-2023
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- Blake Spears
- Brooke Fisher
- Melina Arciniega
2021-2022
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- Kent Lisibach
- Joseph Newbern
2020-2021
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- Sheri Nelson-Karikomi
- Ashley Carver
A
C
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- Ashley Carver
F
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- Brooke Fisher
L
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- Kent Lisibach
- Danielle Lopez Stamm
M
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- Jackson Magie
- Xochitl Martinez
N
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- Sheri Nelson-Karikomi
- Joseph Newbern
O
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- Emily Owens
P
S
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- Blake Spears
T
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- Evan Taylor
W
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- Matia Wartes