The Dean's Welcome
Ray Ball, Ph.D.
Dean of the Honors College
Welcome to the University Honors College! We are glad you鈥檙e here.
Membership in the 乐播传媒 Honors College allows you to creatively craft and personalize
your journey at 乐播传媒. It will also help you to make sure your impact counts for credit.
Have you been involved in student clubs at 乐播传媒, and found yourself in a leadership
role? Do you want to study abroad and immerse yourself in other cultures? What about
conducting research with a faculty member or performing an original creative work
on stage? Are you already active in your communities by serving local, regional, or
national organizations outside of school? If you work to help support yourself through
college, your professional experiences may also contribute to completing Honors. Come
learn how your experiences can earn you an Honors Scholar designation upon completing
your degree at 乐播传媒.
乐播传媒 students, whether in an Associate鈥檚 or a Bachelor鈥檚 Degree Program, who have a
3.0 GPA or higher are eligible to apply. Once admitted, you have the opportunity to
choose one of four tracks. Within your chosen track, you get personal mentorship from
Honors faculty members as you discover how your passions, goals, and needs can help
you thrive and have an impact. The Honors College will challenge you to think deeply,
to collaborate with others, and to pursue what excites and fascinates you. Prior to
graduation, you will complete and present a portfolio that distinctly reflects your
journey. Ultimately, your experiences as an Honors Scholar will help distinguish you
as you enter the job market, work towards a new career, or seek postgraduate education.
The University Honors College is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council.
It also serves as the home of Major Scholarships.
Mission Statement
The University Honors College cultivates personal, professional, and civic growth
within a motivated and supportive academic community of faculty and students. We emphasize
curiosity and experiential learning and empower students to build their own individualized
pathway through tracks in community engagement, global and multicultural studies,
leadership, and research and creative activity.
Values
We invite and express curiosity.
We build community.
We embrace challenge.
Vision Statement
The University Honors College creates authentic communities of belonging. Its members
innovate with compassion, integrity, and purpose and lead change that positively transforms
lives.
Honors Academic Board Members
Ray Ball, Ph.D. - Honors College Dean
Susan Meskis, DNP - Honors Academic Board Chair
Global & Multicultural Studies
- Natasa Masanovic-Courtney, Ph.D.
- Jeff Meyers, Ph.D.
Leadership
- Yong Cao, Ph.D.
- Amy Doogan, J.D.
Research & Creative Activity
- Taylor Keister, M.A., M.LIS.
- Kamran Siddique, Ph.D.
Ray Ball has called Alaska home since 2012, when she arrived at 乐播传媒 as a Professor of European
and World History. She holds an MA and a PhD in History from Ohio State University
and an MFA in Poetry from the 乐播传媒. Ray researches and writes
about the early Spanish Empire and the individuals who crisscrossed its vast territories, including actresses, friars, outlaw dukes, Venetian spies, and African healers. Dean
Ball is the author of two history books, three poetry books, and numerous articles
and reviews. She's been the recipient of a Fulbright Research Award to Spain, an NEH
Summer Institute Award, and the 乐播传媒 Chancellor's Award for Research and for Teaching.
Susan Meskis is Associate Professor of Nursing at 乐播传媒. She was born in Indiana. She achieved
her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Valparaiso University and earned a Master
of Science in Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Regis University in Colorado
and is currently studying for her Master of Public Health degree from the University
of Alaska Anchorage. Susan is a leader for Sigma Theta Tau, Theta Omicron Chapter,
an ELNEC Regional Chair, and a Rotarian. She has a diverse background in nursing
and is most passionate about End-of-Life care and medical missions.
Professor Amy Doogan was born and raised in Anchorage and educated at 乐播传媒, Pomona College, and Harvard
Law School. She has been a member of the 乐播传媒 Legal Studies faculty for three years.
Her courses include Constitutional Law and Civil Procedure. Prior to joining the faculty,
Professor Doogan practiced law in Anchorage for seven years. Professor Doogan is also
a former registered nurse with six years of practice experience. In her free time,
Professor Doogan enjoys reading, doing puzzles, and spending time with her family
and her two large unruly dogs, Fauci and Sadie.
Taylor Keister is the Humanities Librarian at the 乐播传媒/APU Consortium Library and has lived in Alaska
since 2019. He is originally from northwestern Montana, where he completed his undergraduate
studies in history, German, and Russian. Afterward, he moved to Kansas to pursue an
MA in Slavic Literatures & Languages from the University of Kansas and a Master鈥檚
in Library in Science from Emporia State University. Throughout his career he has
worked in both public and academic libraries, including a summer long fellowship in
2017 at the Library of Congress, where he assisted Russian area specialists with cataloging
19th century Russian ephemera purchased by the Library in 1906. As a librarian, Taylor
enjoys supporting student research and helping them navigate library resources.
Dr. Masanovic-Courtney is a professor of German and the coordinator of the German program in the Department
of Languages. She has taught German language and literature classes at 乐播传媒 since 2003
and has served as the chair of her department from 2011-2020 and 2023-present. She
has been recognized for her mentorship of students who have received prestigious international
scholarships. In 2014, she was honored as one of Alaska鈥檚 YWCA Women of Achievement
recipients for her leadership and efforts toward creating a better community. She
believes in the value of international education and the importance of cross-cultural
understanding and is committed to exploring international opportunities and education
programs for 乐播传媒 students. Originally, she is from Istanbul, Turkey, and grew up speaking
two mother tongues, Turkish and Greek.
Jeff lives in Homer with his wife Danielle, two sons Lev and Hugo, and Aussie-Doodle Obi
Wan-Kenobi. He is Associate Professor of History at the Kachemak Bay Campus, a community
campus of Kenai Peninsula College and 乐播传媒. There he teaches general education history
courses and upper division courses ranging from Conspiracies and Secret Societies
to the History of the Soviet Union and the Roman Empire. He is an Alaska Historical
Society board member where he is the annual conference coordinator. He has been on
the Honors Academic Board in the Global and Multicultural Studies program for two
years.
Kamran Siddique is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the 乐播传媒.
He teaches courses in programming, operating systems, data structures, programming
language concepts, and assembly language. His research focuses on big data techniques,
cybersecurity, machine learning, cloud computing, and system architectures. Kamran
is committed to enhancing undergraduate education through innovative, hands-on learning
experiences that connect theory with real-world problem solving. He has led efforts
to cultivate self-discovery, curiosity, and critical thinking as essential skills
for success in STEM fields. Outside of his academic work, he enjoys spending time
with his family and exploring Alaska鈥檚 landscapes.
Dr. Whitmore is a lifelong Alaskan who returned to the state after completing an M.S. in Industrial
and Organizational Psychology and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at Virginia Tech鈥攖o
help Alaska "grow our own" workforce. She previously earned a bachelors degree at
UAF, as a 鈥淯A Scholar,鈥� and did EPSCOR-supported undergraduate research, investigating The Effects of Dietary Antioxidants on Learning and Memory in Mature Holland Lop Rabbits under the guidance of Dr. Anita Hartmann. Her current research interests center around
culturally responsive evaluation in Indigenous communities, the role of trust in a
patient-provider relationship, and effective teaching in the Health Science classroom.
Dr. Whitmore's teaching invites story into the health policy classroom, partners evaluation
students with community programs where they can apply their learning to support operations,
and introduces students to what public health looks like in Alaska.
Honors Administrative Staff
Joseph Bruner, M.A.
Director of Student Success & Academic Growth Initiatives
e: jcbruner@alaska.edu
Joe has worked in higher education since 2013. Joe鈥檚 work in higher ed has included teaching
students how to write resumes and cover letters, assessing high impact practices on
students, and managing collegiate technology. At 乐播传媒, Joe oversees the Navigate360
platform, serves as a technical advisor to the Honors College, and implements assessment
of the Progress Reports initiative as well as Title III Grant peer support programs.
When not busy in work mode, you may find Joe out hiking on trails, spending time with
friends, or maybe just playing his Nintendo games!
Leslie is a lifelong Alaskan and a 乐播传媒 Alumna. She has worked at 乐播传媒 since 2010 and has
worked in Advising since 2019. She now serves as the Director of Advising for the
College of Arts and Sciences, and advises for the Honors College. Leslie is passionate
about higher education and helping students reach their goals.
A former research biologist, Mattie moved to Alaska and joined 乐播传媒 Advising in 2021. She now serves as Director of Advising
for the College of Health and advises Pre-Med Post Baccalaureate students and for
the Honors College. When not at work, she enjoys playing outside with her very active
toddler and chipping away at her latest art project.
