College of Liberal Arts Academic Support Staff

College of Liberal Arts Dean's Office Hours & Contact
CALL 907-474-7231 | EMAIL uaf-cla@alaska.edu
VISIT Gruening Building, Suite 404, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
MAIL PO Box 756280, Fairbanks, AK 99775 | FAX 907-474-5817
Meet the Dean Team!

Ellen Lopez
Dean
Gruening 404B
As the Dean of the UAF College of Liberal Arts, Ellen's philosophy of leadership reflects the principles that guide her culturally congruent and responsive program of research.
I work for our faculty, staff, and students to keep CLA moving forward toward success. I care about my colleagues! I try to listen, be empathetic, and weigh the pros and cons of all situations.
"I can't be perfect, but I can be excellent!" -Ellen Lopez

Diosmary "Dee" Cardentey
Executive Officer
Gruening 404E
I am a licensed professional counselor and human resources professional. As Executive Officer, I get to bring my love of Psychology and Human Resources together! I do not consider myself an expert but I always strive to give 110% in all that I do.
I love to learn, hence the two Master's degrees and tons of student loan debt . What inspires me the most is the potential for growth and self-evolution. At CLA, I am constantly challenged to think outside the box and do better than I did the day before.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” -Maya Angelou

Carrie Baker
Associate Dean & Professor of Theatre & Film
FAC 104
As Associate Dean of the UAF College of Liberal Arts, I support Dean Lopez’s work
in moving our college forward. I am focused on infrastructure and technology, Strategic
Enrollment Planning, and Program Review process revisions. I served as Department
Chair in Theatre & Film for almost a decade and have a keen understanding of the incredible
work of CLA’s faculty, staff, and students. I am a full-time faculty member and strive
to bring the faculty perspective to my work with the Dean’s Team. I strongly advocate
for the Arts and believe in the importance of the Arts within an undergraduate education
at UAF.
Carrie Baker is a Professor of Theatre & Film at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
She is an actor, director, fight choreographer, and vocal coach. Carrie holds many
New York and Regional Theatre stage acting credits, along with television and film
acting credits. She is a member of Actor’s Equity Association (AEA) and Screen Actors
Guild- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). At UAF, Carrie
teaches acting, voice and speech, movement, and camera acting and directs main-stage
productions for Theatre UAF. Visit her website at: www.carriecrosbybaker.com
Teaching continues to be the great joy of my career; I simply love being in the classroom.
I am inspired by my students: their creativity, their generosity, and their empathy.
I love helping actors develop their craft, but I am particularly inspired by the sense
of community we create in the classroom along the way. In every class I teach, I strive
to build community and instill confidence in students.
“Time is the nurse and breeder of all good” -William Shakespeare

Heather Foltz
Fiscal Officer
Gruening 404C
I specialize in unit-level budget development and management and oversight of all financial transactions and processes at both the departmental and unit level.
I assist departments with their operating budget, including managing the authorized budget amounts, executing and investigating expenditures via approved UAF policies and procedures, and monitoring incoming revenue. I can also provide proposal assistance for smaller or internal proposals, or I can coordinate assistance from the Office of Proposal Development.
“It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet” - Miyamoto Musashi

Ellen Cruse
Human Resources Technician
Gruening 404A
I specialize in all the human resources functions within CLA.
Do you have a question about your pay or leave? Does your department need to hire a student assistant or graduate assistant? Then I'm your first stop!
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." -William James

Kathy Nava
Comprehensive Academic Advisor
Gruening 503D
Please include your phone number and UA student ID # with all correspondence.

Sarah Manriquez
Public Information Officer
Gruening 407
My expertise is in digital marketing and social media management. I am a jill of all trades and bring photography, videography, and graphic design to my position as the CLA PIO.
If you belong to the CLA family as a student, faculty, staff, alumni, or otherwise and have an event, fundraiser, accolade, or story you want to share with the public- I'm your first stop!
I oversee the UAF College of Liberal Arts social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and CLA's Digital Sign. I am also the contact person for Cornerstone submissions in CLA.
Do you need updated photos for your website? Do you need graphics for your social media campaign for that upcoming event you're working on? Do you want to make a video about how awesome your class is? I can help with that and so much more.
Let's schedule a meeting and make a plan!
"We define ourselves far too often by our past failures. That's not you. You are this person right now. You're the person who has learned from those failures. Build confidence and momentum with each good decision you make from here on out and choose to be inspired." -Joe Rogan