Advisory Councils
Honors Student Advisory Council (HSAC)
The Honors Student Advisory Council (HSAC) provides a forum for all Honors students
to contribute their best ideas to the continued development of the Honors College
in the areas of curricular and extracurricular programming, recruitment and retention
of students, and policies regarding the Honors College and the use of the Honors House.
Their ideas and concerns are brought to the attention of the Director through the Honors Faculty Advisory Council (HFAC).
HSAC is specifically charged with planning and administering extracurricular programs
open to all students, fundraising to support social events and charitable giving as
appropriate, nominating and selecting the annual awardee for the Robert Piacenza Excellence
in Teaching Award, planning and hosting the faculty excellence luncheon, assisting
in developing an atmosphere of responsibility and respect with regard to the use of
the Honors House, and making recommendations regarding all aspects of the Honors College
to HFAC and the Director.
Elections for HSAC Officers and members at large are held each April. Those elected
serve the following academic year.
Officers
Leila Shubair
President
Honors Student Advisory Council
Leila Shubair spent her entire high school career in Fairbanks, Alaska. She grew up
in the district, attending both Lathrop High School and the BEST Homeschool program.
She decided to go to UAF to stay close to her family and to continue her education.
She was hesitant at first about joining the Honors College, but after meeting the
staff and seeing what Honors could offer, the additional challenge is exciting. She
is looking forward to the new adventures that come with being in the Honors College and hopes to meet other
Honor students to see what they can do together in HSAC.
Ivy Daly
Secretary
Honors Student Advisory Council
Ivy Daly is a first-year linguistics student at UAF and the HSAC Secretary. By summer,
she directs the salmon sorting line at a fishing dock in her hometown of Kasilof.
In fall, Ivy returns to her academic study, which, despite her enthusiasm for it,
she must occasionally grant herself reprieve from by practicing her baritone saxophone,
sculpting rats, learning new languages, and challenging her sister to reading competitions.
After graduating from Soldotna High School in 2022, Ivy was looking for a school that
offered both a low cost and a strong linguistics program. She knows that she made
the right choice in choosing Fairbanks: everything from the people to the scenery
is beautiful, and participating in the Honors Council has helped her unite with like-minded
peers who are eager to make a difference in the community.
Emily Lipscomb
Vice President
Honors Student Advisory Council
Emily grew up on the East Coast and moved to Fairbanks during her freshman year of
high school. She graduated from Lathrop High School in 2022 and is now a first-year
honor student at UAF. She is an interdisciplinary student majoring in Forensic Science
and plans on focusing on DNA analysis.
Emily has thoroughly embraced the Alaskan lifestyle including the many adventures
and breathtaking scenery. Emily particularly enjoys salmon and halibut fishing and
kayaking the many rivers and lakes. One of her plans as head of the event committee
is to coordinate events throughout the year to enhance comradery and enjoyment for
honors students.
Caid Crumley
Treasurer
Honors Student Advisory Council
Caid is a freshman at UAF studying business and financial advising. He is using his
knowledge and background in finance to serve the Honors Advisory Council as its Treasurer.
Caid was born in Anchorage, Alaska and came to UAF to be independent while staying
in the beautiful state of Alaska. Above all, Caid enjoys helping people.
Outside of school Caid participates in many activities like sports, biking, hiking,
wood/metal working, video games, physical games, and spending time with friends, family,
and pets. You can spot him as he ALWAYS wears the color blue. He hasn’t missed a day
since he was in 2nd grade!
Committee Chairs
Emily Lipscomb
Chair
HSAC Events Committee
Emily grew up on the East Coast and moved to Fairbanks during her freshman year of
high school. She graduated from Lathrop High School in 2022 and is now a first-year
honor student at UAF. She is an interdisciplinary student majoring in Forensic Science
and plans on focusing on DNA analysis.
Emily has thoroughly embraced the Alaskan lifestyle including the many adventures
and breathtaking scenery. Emily particularly enjoys salmon and halibut fishing and
kayaking the many rivers and lakes. One of her plans as head of the event committee
is to coordinate events throughout the year to enhance comradery and enjoyment for
honors students.
Sammy Rivera
Co-Chair
HSAC Orientation Committee
Sammy is originally from Colombia and is majoring in Computer Science here at UAF.
He moved to Fairbanks several years ago where he graduated with honors from Lathrop
High School.
Sammy joined the Honors College because he wanted to gain a deeper understanding of
the topics that interest him while being part of a community where he can give back.
Sammy's biggest goal in life is to help everyone that needs it and he will do anything
in his power to do so.
Sammy loves rock climbing, playing soccer, table tennis, video games, working out,
and spending time with his friends.
JB Brown
Co-Chair
HSAC Climate Scholars Committee
JB Brown was raised in Reno, Nevada, and will always call that place their home. Looking
for a change, and after having received a pamphlet advertising the Climate Scholars
program, they were dead set on attending UAF.
JB is currently majoring in Biological Science, with a minor in Art, and hopes to
add Film as a second major. They spend all their free time creating art, sewing, and
crocheting/knitting. Since coming to UAF, they have found a passion for rock climbing.
With being in the Honors College as a requirement to be a Climate Scholar, joining
HSAC just happened to be an opportunity that sounded fun. JB has been able to meet
new people and make new friends through HSAC and the Honors College. They look forward
to all the events and opportunities that come their way.
Meredith McMahon
Chair
HSAC Wellness Committee
Meredith McMahon is an Anthropology major with junior standing. She is minoring in
music and plays French Horn with the UAF Wind Ensemble. She is currently working on
an URSA research project titled “Language, Gender and Power in a Gentlemen’s Club”
and plans on attending and presenting at several conferences this year.
Meredith joined the Honors College for the opportunities and connections made available
through the program and is a member of HSAC because she cares about student well being and success in her community.
Elliot Costello
Co-Chair
HSAC Orientation Committee
Elliot was raised in Juneau and has lived in Alaska his whole life. He decided to
go to UAF because he wanted to go somewhere outside of Juneau, but still wanted the
affordability of in state tuition. He was hesitant to join both Honors and HSAC at
first, but is really glad he did. He has met a lot of my closest friends in HSAC,
and has had a lot of fun since joining. "It’s a really good group that’s fun to work
and hang out with."
Elliot looks forward to being able to help new students settle in here and enjoy their
new school as much as he has! Some things Elliot enjoys doing outside of school are
hiking, climbing, playing guitar, and just having fun in general.
Jedidiah Fincher
Co-Chair
HSAC Climate Scholars Committee
Jedidiah, a native of North Pole, Alaska, is majoring in Wildlife Biology at the University
of Alaska Fairbanks. They are passionate about nature and animals and enjoy spending
time outdoors and observing the wildlife.
The cost-effectiveness and opportunities offered were major factors in their decision
to attend UAF. When applying to colleges, Jedidiah was particularly interested in
the Honors College for its potential to academically challenge themselves and connect
with a community of motivated students. As a current member of the Honors College,
Jedidiah is eager to collaborate with their peers in the Honors Student Advisory Council
and achieve great things together.
Honors Faculty Advisory Council (HFAC)
The Honors Faculty Advisory Council (HFAC) meets regularly during the academic year.
It provides a forum for formulating advice and making recommendations to the Honors College Director
regarding all aspects of the UAF Honors College. The Council consists of faculty from
the breadth of UAF's schools, colleges, special programs, and representatives of the Honors Student Advisory Council. Faculty serve on the Council for three years; students
serve for one year.
