UAS welcomes new faculty in Arts & Sciences, Career Education and Education

Incoming cohort brings Alaska roots and global expertise to place-based learning.

Juneau, Alaska

Date of Press Release: August 26, 2026

The University of Alaska Southeast is welcoming seven new full-time faculty members for the fall 2026 semester, bringing advanced knowledge in disciplines that include housing policy, Indigenous arts, marine power technology and educational leadership.
 
The incoming professors are teaching courses in the lab, field, carving studio, classroom and online. They are also developing collaborations with local organizations to conduct research and expand hands-on learning opportunities for students.

“We’re thrilled to welcome these new faculty to UAS,” said UAS Provost Scott Billingsley. “I’m excited about the expertise and energy they bring in fields so connected with Alaska’s coastal cultures, economies and environments. Many have roots in our local communities, and now they are quickly becoming an integral part of our UAS community.”

School of Arts & Sciences

• Shae Frydenlund is an assistant professor of Alpine and Arctic Studies. She teaches Perspectives on the Natural World, Mountain Studies, and Outdoor Studies field courses. Frydenlund’s scholarship critically examines labour exploitation, racial capitalism, and uneven development in mountain communities across Asia and the U.S. After earning a doctorate in geography, she conducted postdoctoral research with the National Science Foundation and taught at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Frydenlund is excited to teach field-based courses and develop new research in collaboration with the Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center and International Arctic Research Center.
  
  
• Meghan Holtan is an assistant professor of Public Administration, teaching courses in Applied Research Methods and Public Policy and Accountability. She grew up in Anchorage and spent twelve years as a planning and community health analyst before earning a Doctorate in Urban and Regional Planning. Her ongoing research looks at housing, energy, and climate adaptation in the North, including with Alaska Tribal and public housing providers. Holtan is a trained circus artist, and uses performance and temporal public art installations in her research. She is looking forward to research collaborations with faculty and community organizations across Alaska, and learning from students who bring their own experiences into the classroom.
  
  
• Eechdaa Dave Ketah is an assistant professor of Northwest Coast Indigenous Arts, and teaches carving, design and tool making. He was born and raised in Ketchikan with family roots in Klawock, where his great-grandfather was lead totem carver. Ketah’s professional expertise includes architecture, construction, computer science and education. He is excited for the great privilege of teaching and supporting the perpetuation of his Tlingit culture. “I have inherited an incredible gift in Tlingit heritage, and this position affords me a tremendous opportunity to steward it for the generations to come,” said Ketah.
  
  
• Jason Kuhn is entering a tenure-track position as an assistant professor of chemistry, after two years as a term faculty member. He teaches general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry. In graduate school at the University of Virginia, he researched membrane proteins, nanoliposomes and targeted drug delivery. Kuhn conducted post-doctoral research in Oxford and taught in Virginia and Maine before moving to Juneau a few years ago to teach at UAS. “I am excited to work with students who are passionate about their interests, whether those are in environmental science, marine biology, human health, or one of the many other fields that intersect with chemistry!” said Kuhn.

School of Career Education

• Jeremiah Blankenship is an assistant professor of Power Technology, teaching courses in marine transmissions, outboard motors, and a marine auxiliary systems lab. He is a fourth-generation Alaskan and graduate of the UAS School of Career Education. Blankenship has built a career working on a wide variety of boats, diesel engines, and mechanical systems throughout Alaska and beyond. He is passionate about hands-on instruction and strengthening relationships between UAS, local employers, unions and industry partners to expand opportunities for students and help build a strong workforce for Southeast Alaska.

School of Education

• Robin Lockwood is an assistant professor of secondary and elementary education, teaching courses in the Secondary Master of Arts in Teaching and Elementary Education programs, and mentoring teacher candidates. She earned her Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Master of Arts in Teaching from UAS. Lockwood has a background in outdoor and environmental education, marine science and innovative, experiential learning. She is passionate about helping teachers create classrooms where every student feels seen, challenged and inspired. “UAS has been an important part of my own educational journey, and it is incredibly meaningful to now give back to the programs and people who helped shape me as an educator,” said Lockwood.
  
  
• Cindy McKibben is an assistant professor of Educational Leadership, teaching courses in the Master of Educational Leadership Program and beyond, and helping launch the Registered Principal Apprenticeship Program. McKibben has spent the past 17 years in Alaska's K-12 public education system as an elementary teacher, building interventionist, instructional coach, principal and intervention and assessment coordinator. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Northern Colorado and graduate-level principal certification from Lamar University. McKibben is excited to help others lean into their own futures as Alaska's next teachers and leaders.