Skip to Main Content

Department

Humanities

The mission of the UAS Humanities Department is to help students develop independence, flexibility, and creativity in thinking and personal growth. Our programs facilitate student learning in the following areas:

The Humanities Department has a commitment to cultural diversity and to exposing students to multiple world views.

Explore Indigenous cultures and arts in the ancestral home of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples

Alaska Native Arts, Languages & Studies

Program coordinator: Dr. X̱’unei Lance Twitchell

Study the words and ideas that shape thought and culture.

English & Literature

Program coordinator: Emily Wall, M.F.A.

Join a team of adventurers

Environmental and Outdoor Studies

Program coordinator: Dr. Kevin Maier

Part of the Program on the Environment, Departments of Humanities and Natural Sciences

Combine a breadth of knowledge with a depth of understanding

Liberal Arts

Program coordinator: Dr. Andrea Dewees

Staff

Davina Cole (she/her)

Northwest Coast Arts Program Coordinator

View profile and contact info

Suzi D. Vollmer

Administrative Assistant

View profile and contact info

Faculty

Kevin Krein, Ph.D.

Kevin Krein, Ph.D.

Professor of Philosophy

View profile and contact info

Emily Wall, B.A., M.F.A. (she/her)

Emily Wall, B.A., M.F.A.

Professor of English

My passion is for poetry. I’ve been studying, writing, and publishing poetry for 20 years. I’ve been lucky enough to be part of a connected and supportive writing community throughout Alaska.

View profile and contact info

Andrea L. Dewees

Andrea L. Dewees

Associate Professor of Spanish

View profile and contact info

Jeremy Kane, M.F.A.

Jeremy Kane, M.F.A.

Professor of Art

View profile and contact info

Kevin Maier, Ph.D.

Kevin Maier, Ph.D.

Professor of English

While my training is in 19th and 20th century American literature, my interests have always been in the cultural components of environmental concerns, often seen from the angle of sport hunting and fishing. Which is to say: I like to mix my outdoor recreation with hard questions about climate change, equity, and environmental justice.

View profile and contact info

Math Trafton, B.A., B.S., M.A., Ph.D. (he/him)

Math Trafton, B.A., B.S., M.A., Ph.D.

Professor of English

In the classroom, Dr. Trafton is committed to empowering students through rigorous interdisciplinary exercises that challenge students according to their interests and their abilities.  He strives to support students in developing the experience, confidence, and skills to discover their voice and to use it effectively.

View profile and contact info

X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, M.F.A., Ph.D. (hú/du, he/him)

X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, M.F.A., Ph.D.

Professor of Alaska Native Languages

All systems and spaces have space for Indigenous languages, knowledges, arts, and peoples. You can study with us and stand up for Indigenous languages, ways of knowing, and decolonization in revolutionary self-love. Kakḵwa.áaḵw aag̱áa yakḵwadláaḵ: I will try, and I will succeed!

View profile and contact info

Forest J. Wagner, M.A.

Forest J. Wagner, M.A.

Associate Professor of Outdoor Studies, Humanities Department Chair

View profile and contact info

Rosemarie J. Alexander-Isett, Ph.D.

Rosemarie J. Alexander-Isett, Ph.D.

Term Assistant Professor of Communication

View profile and contact info

Liz Zacher, M.F.A.

Liz Zacher, M.F.A.

Term Associate Professor of Art

View profile and contact info

Forest S. Haven, Ph.D. (she/her)

Forest S. Haven, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Alaska Native Studies

View profile and contact info

Éedaa Heather D. Burge, B.L.A., M.A.

Éedaa Heather D. Burge, B.L.A., M.A.

Assistant Professor of Alaska Native Languages

View profile and contact info

Jay Szczepanski II, M.A. (he/him)

Assistant Professor of English

View profile and contact info

Judith D. Ramos, M.A.T.

Judith D. Ramos, M.A.T.

Assistant Professor, Northwest Coast Arts

Volunteer activities: Cultural Advisory Committee, Alaska Native Heritage Center; Museum Collections Advisory Committee, Alaska State Museum; Commissioner, Alaska Native Science Commission; member, Museum Sovereignty Advisory Circle, CIRI Foundation; member, Eyak Language Preservation and Archive Committee  

View profile and contact info

Emeritus Faculty

Art Petersen, Ph.D.

Art Petersen, Ph.D.

Professor of English, Emeritus

View profile and contact info

Susan Koester, Ph.D.

Susan Koester, Ph.D.

Professor of Communication, Emeritus

View profile and contact info

Ernestine Hayes, M.F.A.

Ernestine Hayes, M.F.A.

Professor of English, Emerita

View profile and contact info