Recent Submissions

  • Schizophrenia Care Among People Experiencing Homelessness in the Matanuska Susitna Borough

    Wargo, Mary K. (University of Alaska Anchorage, 2025-07-01)
    Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that often manifests in early adulthood (Jauhar et al., 2022). Positive symptoms include reality distortions, disordered thinking, hallucinations, or delusions; while negative symptoms are seen in an individual’s lack of motivation and expression (Jauhar et al., 2022; Norris, 2019). Cognitive deficits are also a clinical feature (Harvey et al., 2022; Jauhar et al., 2022). Schizophrenia affects an estimated 0.3 – 1.6% of the United States population (Finnerty et al., 2024). Most recent data from Alaska reveals 1,664 Alaskans live with schizophrenia (Heun-Johnson et al., 2019). Despite the small percentage of the population with a diagnosis, these individuals have a disproportionately high burden of disease. Patients with schizophrenia are hospitalized at a higher rate than those with other severe mental health disorders and their stay is longer and more costly (Heun-Johnson et al., 2019). The burden of the disease is also felt as a loss of productivity, as patients may be unable to maintain employment, need significant support from caregivers, and have shorter lives (Heun-Johnson et al., 2019; Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance, 2021). Many people with schizophrenia live independently, but others are unhoused, live in care facilities, or are incarcerated, which adds to disease burden (Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance, 2021). The current standard of care for schizophrenia involves pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches. Antipsychotic medications are the cornerstone, although common side effects complicate adherence to treatment, including obesity, metabolic disturbances, or tardive dyskinesia (Rubio & Kane, 2022). Pharmacologic treatment reduces the symptoms of schizophrenia, and accompanying non-pharmacologic interventions can improve quality of life (McDonaugh et al., 2017). Early detection and treatment lead to a better long-term prognosis (Crawford & Go, 2022, Lin & Lane, 2019). The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) gathered approaches to managing schizophrenia into a package called coordinated specialty care (CSC) (NIMH, 2023). CSC is based on early intervention and an individualized treatment plan that provides medication management, cognitive behavioral therapy, family support, case management, employment support, and psychoeducation (NIMH, 2023). This approach is also reflected in the most recent practice guideline from the American Psychiatric Association. This guideline includes recommendations related to initial assessment, the use of antipsychotic medication, CSC programs, cognitive behavioral therapy, assertive community treatment for patients with histories of poor adherence or relapse, as well as employment, social skills, family, and cognitive support (Keepers et al., 2021).
  • Deer Lady: Evil Temptress, Tragic Victim, or Ghost of Indigenous Femininity?

    Longley, Erica (University of Alaska Anchorage, 2025-07-01)
    “Deer Lady” (2023) is the third episode in the third and final season of the FX on Hulu dramedy series, Reservation Dogs. The show features an almost entirely Indigenous cast and crew. This includes creators Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, the director of this particular episode, Danis Goulet, actors D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, who plays Bear, and Kaniehtiio Horn, who plays Deer Lady. According to an interview for NPR, showrunner Sterlin Harjo is of Seminole and Muscogee heritage, and grew up in rural Oklahoma, where the show is set (Harjo interview). A large driving force behind the creation of the show was to provide realistic representations of Indigenous Americans in popular media. “Deer Lady” uses Indigenous folklore to shed light on a piece of American History in a way that is both shocking, and devastatingly relatable. Thus humanizing the experiences of Indigenous people in the United States. I will be delving into some of the inconsistencies in traditional Deer Lady/Woman stories. This involves exploring the connotation that folklore may have been influenced by colonization, and how that could be contributing to the violence against Indigenous women that persists today.
  • Nutrition Guidelines and Childhood Obesity

    Gajonera, Kaycelyn Mhae; Langley, Jennifer; Macato, Cara (University of Alaska Anchorage, 2024-05-01)
    Problem According to the CDC, 1 in 7 children aged 2 to 5 have obesity, if this trend continues, by 2050 more than half of today's children and adolescents are projected to have obesity by the age 35 (CDC, 2022). Individuals with obesity are at an increased risk for major health problems later in life such as type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, hypertension, and myocardial infarction (Blüher, 2019). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established the Early Childcare and Education (ECE) that suggests school aged children between 6-12 years should consume lean meats, varieties of whole fruits, whole grain breads, cereals and pastas as seen in the CDC's nutrition standards (CDC, 2021). Research suggests that parental modeling and feeding practices are an important contributor in children's dietary habits and weight status (Martínez-Lacoba et al., 2018). A large number of studies regarding childhood obesity have strongly supported the use of the Mediterranean Diet as an effective way to combat the disease, however low adherence deters its' users from the therapeutic benefits and positive health outcomes (Tambalis et al., 2018). Gaps in Research Lack of knowledge regarding the combined influences of healthy body weight status determinants such as genetic, environmental, socioeconomic, and sociocultural factors, and their interactions (Kosti et al., 2020). Potential recall biases from self reporting questionnaires that hinders the true compliance of Mediterranean Diet, and assessment of life style interventions such as physical activity (Tambalis et al., 2018). Purpose The purpose of this evidence-based project is to explore the following PICO: (P) Population - Childhood Obesity (I) Intervention - Mediterranean Diet (C) Control - Not specific diet (O) Outcomes - BMI Nursing Theory & Evidence-Based Practice Florence Nightingale's Environmental Theory describes how environmental factors can greatly influence a person's health and therefore needs to be incorporated into the patient's care plan. It can be reasoned that such factors include sufficient food and appropriate nutrition (Petiprin, 2019). According to the Environmental Theory, it would be a priority for the patient to receive a diet that promotes good health. The IOWA Model of Evidence-Based Practice defines a priority based on problem-focused and knowledge-focused triggers. A couple of these triggers include identification of a clinical problem and new research or other literature. Methods to help reduce the incidence of childhood obesity through nutrition is a common clinical problem. There have been a number of studies that suggest the Mediterranean diet as a potential option to improve BMI in children and adolescents. Many of these research studies have produced positive results. Because the Mediterranean diet has produced positive outcomes in regard to obesity in the pediatric population, according to the IOWA Model, promotion of the diet as a viable nutritional intervention can be adopted into evidence-based practice.
  • The Two Universities of Alaska, Anchorage

    O'Bar, Jack; Lesh, Nancy; Hunt, Pam; Wilson, Kay (1983)
    A brief historical sketch of the University of Alaska, Anchorage and Anchorage Community College.
  • Proceedings 26th Polar Libraries Colloquy Mapping Change: Chitduug Gha Nen' Ch'etnetl'edz

    Carle, Daria O.; Falk, Marvin; Ager, Bev; Biondo, Stéfano; Bouchard, Joë; Brannemann, Marcel; Campbell, Sandy; Gray, Andrew; Hicks, Gloria; KIssel, Laura J.; et al. (UAA/APU Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage, 2016-07-15)
    Published July 2023 by the University of Alaska Anchorage, UAA/APU Consortium Library, and edited by Daria O. Carle. Copyright in individual papers is held by the contributors. A digital copy of this publication can be found at https://polarlibraries.org/colloquy-proceedings/ and in ScholarWorks, the University of Alaska’s Institutional Repository, https://scholarworks.alaska.edu/. A copy of the 2016 Colloquy program is also available at https://polarlibraries.org/colloquy-proceedings/. Further information on the Polar Libraries Colloquy, including details of membership and upcoming conferences, is available at https://polarlibraries.org
  • Developing polar networks : Ideas & possibilities for the future

    Rollins, Stephen J.; Carle, Daria O. (Polar Libraries Colloquy, 2018-06-10)
    Alaska’s geographic location places it at the forefront of research activity and information gathering about the Arctic and the changing environment of the Polar Regions. To facilitate sharing such information with the residents of the state, the Alaska Discovery Portal uses an integrated approach to retrieve materials from for-profit publishers, vetted websites, Alaska’s Digital Archives, open access resources such as the University of Alaska’s Institutional Repository, online topical Research Guides, and more. By licensing resources for all Alaska residents, the Discovery Portal can do what Google and other search engines cannot—pass through pay walls put in place by commercial publishers. Using whaling in the Arctic as an example, this presentation will demonstrate the wide variety of formats for different audiences that can be retrieved, and the interdisciplinary nature of those formats. From contemporary to historical, locating scholarly or newspaper articles, or multimedia, photographs, drawings, maps, or web resources in disciplines that span geography, ecology, and anthropology to name just a few, are possible through the Discovery Portal. This unique resource, available to anyone in Alaska with an internet connection from home, school, or library, is helping to bridge the digital information gap across the state. The cooperative efforts that created and developed Alaska’s Discovery Portal, how it is maintained and by whom, both financially and in terms of ongoing input of materials, along with suggestions for implementing a similar network in other locations will be discussed.
  • Blazing Trails Through an Untamed Wilderness: Improving Your Library's Self-Guided Help

    Terry, Ruth D.; Hutchings, D'Arcy; McKay, Jennifer; Bjartmarsdottir, Anna; Carle, Daria O. (2019-05-11)
    Libraries provide self-guided help on their websites through FAQs, guides, and tutorials. This content, often created to meet immediate needs and located on multiple webpages, can become an untamed wilderness over time. A group of librarians at the University of Alaska Anchorage took a holistic approach to reflect on, re-envision, and renew our library’s online self-guided help in order to provide students with a more navigable path to research success. This group includes an instructional design librarian and four subject specialist librarians who have responsibility for a significant amount of library instruction, LibGuides, and other tutorials. When we realized the scope of the changes and the extent of the content we needed to edit and create, the project felt overwhelming, but by sharing our experience, we hope to empower others to blaze a trail to improve their own self-guided help. This paper will describe our project and process, lessons learned, and resulting impacts.
  • Audiocassette tape digitizing instructions

    Schmuland, Arlene B. (2022)
    Step by step instructions for digitizing audiocassettes using Audacity as the audio software and a Tascam 202 Mark VII tape deck.
  • Alaska's Digital Archives: Creating a record for an online object (i.e. URL)

    Schmuland, Arlene B. (2022-03-15)
    Instructions on how to add an online object (i.e. URL) as an item within the Alaska's Digital Archives site.
  • Guide to Sources for the Study of the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act: Volume 3 Resources for Teaching ANCSA at 50

    Hawfield, Michael (Alaska Historical Society, ANCSA Committee, 2021-12-15)
    Teaching about ANCSA upon its 50th anniversary presents numerous challenges, but also several significant opportunities for developing a deeper understanding of the complex issues facing Alaska Natives, neighboring non-Native peoples, and the State of Alaska. The history of the birth of ANCSA, its passage, and its impact over the first forty years is well known and the subject of numerous studies. Since the passage of ANCSA in 1971, the Alaska Native community, the University of Alaska, Alaskool, Alaska Native Corporations, Alaska Native organizations, the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, the Alaska Humanities Forum, and the Alaska State Department of Early Education have devoted considerable professional energies and expertise developing and offering the tools for examining and teaching about this extraordinary legislation up to 2020. Currently, in 2021, there are well developed syllabi for elementary students (3rd grade), early high school students (9th grade), and for college/university students in lower as well as upper division courses. The purpose of this guide to resources for teaching ANCSA at 50 is to add to and build upon the two principle syllabi that currently exist: (1) the Alaskool online course elementary and high-school students developed by Paul Ongtagook and Claudia Dybdahl; and (2) the 2011 online upper-division university level class developed originally by Professor Gordon Pullar (UAF Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development RD 493/693 — Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act: Pre-1971 to present] and taught subsequently by Professor Dixie Dayo and Professor Diane Benson. There are other teacher guides readily available, such as “A Moment in Time--ANCSA: Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act” (the Education Department of the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center), and a new syllabus for public schools has been developed by Joel Isaac on behalf of the Anchorage School District (not yet published; due in 2022, but included in the addendum to this guide). Because the topic of ANCSA at its half-century anniversary is so complex and the resources so many and varied, it seems the most helpful initial tool for teachers and/or community leaders seeking to lead discussions is to organize a resource aid useful and accessible to teachers and/or community leaders to review the historical narrative and introduce the topics. Because there are many excellent histories and syllabi devoted to understanding and teaching about ANCSA from its inception to the present, the “Guide to the Teaching Resources” seeks to focus on several “enduring critical issues” as identified by scholars, teachers, and Alaska Native leaders to add to the basic architecture for teaching ANCSA at 50. This Resource Guide is envisioned also as an introduction for instructors to the several “enduring critical issues” facing the Alaska Native and non-Native communities in the context of ANCSA legislation after half-a-century of experience. The single most important and accessible collection of materials useful for teaching about ANCSA, its origins, the drama of the passage of the Act, and many of the commentaries about the meaning and impact of ANCSA may be found in: http://www.alaskool.org/java/teachers_tour/tour1.html. NOTE: Navigate to “Revisiting the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA)” – an important resource for many basic documents and discussions about the origins and development of ANCSA.
  • Guide to Sources for the Study of the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act: Volume 2 Bibliography

    Sherif, Sue; Antonson, Joan (Alaska Historical Society, ANCSA Committee, 2021-12-15)
    The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 USC 1601-1624) -- Public Law 92-203, approved December 18, 1971 (85 Stat. 688) has been the subject of a number of bibliographies compiled since the act was passed in 1971. They include stand-alone publications and ones that are in published books about the act. The bibliography that follows was initiated for commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the passage of the landmark legislation, especially to add sources published since the 40th anniversary and to be helpful for a researcher initiating a study. The first publications generally provided background historical context and summarized the law, although from the start critics of the legislation published works expressing their concerns. After the regional and village corporations organized and land selections started, sections of the act needed clarification, and Congress began to amend the law. Numerous articles appeared in legal journals as issues such as the extinguishment of aboriginal hunting and fishing rights, tax issues, the revenue sharing plans, and tribal sovereignty were debated and clarified. As the twenty-year implementation period neared 1991, writers assessed the law’s successes and failures. Several movement leaders wrote memoirs. Historians began to write books, with context as well as details of implementation of the act and to interpret the impact of the legislation on Alaska Native people, the State of Alaska, and federal Indian policy. In addition to printed works, radio and television programs, oral history projects, films, videoproductions, and recently, podcasts have been produced.
  • Guide to Sources for the Study of the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act: Volume 1 History and Archival Collections

    Brewster, Karen; Schneider, William; Antonson, Joan (Alaska Historical Society, ANCSA Committee, 2021-12-14)
    December 18, 2021is the fiftieth anniversary of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). The settlement of 44 million acres of land and close to a billion dollars is the largest settlement of Native land claims in American history. The Act created a new reality for Alaska Natives with greater political, social and economic power, and changed the way that the United States government settles Native land claims. The Act produced a corporate structure designed to provide economic incentives for twelve regional corporations to build equity for their shareholders. Since passage, ANCSA has transformed the economic landscape of Alaska with the Native owned regional corporations bringing wealth and providing major stimulus to the state’s economy. However, ANCSA extinguished Aboriginal title to the land and Aboriginal hunting and fishing rights, severely restricting the extent of Native control over the land ceded to them. ANCSA is often viewed as an historic movement that culminated in the 1971 settlement, but it is also a continually evolving significant part of Native life that has been amended over the years to address issues such as who owns shares, how earnings are distributed, and how provisions can be made for encouraging and facilitating Native hire. The Alaska Historical Society wanted to recognize the movement that led to ANCSA and its evolving significance. This “Guide to Resources for the Study of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA)” is the result of a year-long effort to locate primary archival, published and on-line sources useful to anyone interested in learning about ANCSA.
  • Light and Noise in the Intensive Care Unit

    Covarrubias, Tiffany (University of Alaska Anchorage, 2021-05-01)
  • Editing uploaded records in the Alaska's Digital Archives

    Schmuland, Arlene B. (2021-05-12)
    This tutorial describes how to edit metadata, files, and bands for records uploaded to the Alaska's Digital Archives.
  • Alaska's Digital Archives metadata standards guide

    Schmuland, Arlene B. (2021-05-10)
    This document will lay out the requirements or suggestions for the content of each field that accompanies the items you’ll be adding to the Alaska’s Digital Archives. This should be used in tandem with the Adding Metadata tutorial which will explain the process of filling in the metadata fields.
  • Getting started with the ContentDM Project Client part 5: Adding files to your project

    Schmuland, Arlene B. (2021-03-02)
    This is the fifth part of a five-step tutorial on setting up the software for participation in the Alaska's Digital Archives project. It describes how to add the files (images, audio, documents, etc.,) to a project in preparation for attaching descriptive metadata to those files. Part 1 is the steps that must be complete prior to installing the software, Part 2 is installing the software, Part 3 is Creating a project, Part 4 is Setting up a project.
  • Getting started with the ContentDM Project Client Part 4: setting up your project

    Schmuland, Arlene B. (2021-03-02)
    This is the fourth part of a five-step tutorial on setting up the software for participation in the Alaska's Digital Archives project. It describes the steps that must be completed to fill in the default information that will apply to all files added to the project. Part 1 is the steps that must be complete prior to installing the software, Part 2 is installing the software, Part 3 is Creating a project, Part 5 is Adding files to a project.
  • Getting started with the ContentDM Project Client part 3: Creating a project

    Schmuland, Arlene B. (2021-03-03)
    This is the third part of a five-step tutorial on setting up the software for participation in the Alaska's Digital Archives project. It describes the steps that must be completed to create a project: the function within the ContentDM software that allows you to attach metadata to files. Part 1 is the steps that must be complete prior to installing the software, Part 2 is installing the software, Part 4 is Setting up a project, Part 5 is Adding files to a project.
  • Getting started with the ContentDM Project Client Part 2: installing the software

    Schmuland, Arlene B. (2021-03-03)
    This is the second part of a five-step tutorial on setting up the software for participation in the Alaska's Digital Archives project. It describes the steps to download and install the software. Part 1 is the steps that must be complete prior to installing the software, Part 3 is Creating a project, Part 4 is Setting up a project, Part 5 is Adding files to a project.
  • Getting started with the ContentDM Project Client Part 1: The things you need to do ahead of time

    Schmuland, Arlene B. (2021-03-02)
    This is the first part of a five-step tutorial on setting up the software for participation in the Alaska's Digital Archives project. It describes the steps that must be completed before downloading the software. Part 2 is installing the software, Part 3 is Creating a project, Part 4 is Setting up a project, Part 5 is Adding files to a project.

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