Lorrie Gax̱.áan.sán Heagy, Ph.D.

With over two decades of experience as an educator—spanning roles as adjunct professor, Alaska Teacher of the Year, Fulbright Scholar, and leader in social justice—Lorrie is excited to join the UAS College of Education. Lorrie was adopted into the Kiks.ádi clan by Aanyaanáx̱ (Ray Wilson) and is carried by his sister’s name, Gax̱.áan.sán. She is deeply grateful to her Lingít language teachers—Koolyéik Roby Littlefield, X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell, and Yuxgitsiy George Holly—who have supported her language journey and collaborate alongside her to integrate the Lingít language into the music classroom at Sítʼ Eetí Shaanáx̱ Glacier Valley Elementary School in Juneau. In 2021, this team launched JAMM’s Ḵúx̱dei Yaa Nas.áx̱ (“It Is Echoing Back”) to teach the Lingít language through music and indigenize the music curriculum. Together, they recently developed a mostly asynchronous course, Tléix̱ʼ Yaakw (“One Canoe”): Lingít Language Learning through Music, designed to support educators seeking to deepen their understanding of the Lingít language, while earning 3 continuing education credits for recertification in Fall 2025.

Lorrie is the founder of Juneau Alaska Music Matters (JAMM) and Adjunct Professor at Longy School of Music. In 2018 Lorrie completed her PhD in Education and was awarded an honorary doctorate in education from the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) that same year. In 2019 Lorrie received the Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching where she researched global music education models in the UK that support student creativity, agency, and identity.

In 2009, she was one of fifty musicians worldwide selected to study music for social change at the New England Conservatory. This experience inspired her to create Juneau Alaska Music Matters (JAMM), a nationally recognized program serving over 500 students across three elementary schools, integrating culturally responsive practices such as Indigenous language and cultural preservation. JAMM was honored with the 2024 Lewis Prize Accelerator Award for advancing social justice, racial equity, and creative youth development through music.