The Indian Health Service granted The University of Alaska Anchorage Ph.D. Program a $1.2 million grant to support Alaska Native and American Indian students pursuing degrees in psychology.
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AI/AN people represent only 0.13% of the psychology workforce. In Alaska, where 22% of the population is AIAN, there is a need for mental health research and services that represent and reflect the communities it serves. Provider shortages in rural areas, along with a potential lack of cultural understanding, can lead to AIAN Alaskans being unable to access mental and behavioral health care.
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The five-year grant will launch the Alaska Natives into the Psychology Program, or ANPsych. Dr. E.J.R. David, a professor of psychology at UAA who led the grant application, will serve as the ANPsych program director.
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“We need an approach that centers trust and relationships with AIAN communities, one rooted in collaboration, focused on strengths and committed to addressing systemic barriers. By emphasizing Indigenous and rural psychology, UAA’s psychology Ph.D. program is uniquely suited to address AIAN mental health needs in a more culturally congruent manner,” David said in a press release.
Guided by a cultural advisory board and in collaboration with community organizations throughout Alaska, ANPsych will recruit Indigenous students into the UAA Psychology Ph.D. Program, support their educational journeys and connect them with tribal health organizations.
Additionally, ANPsych will provide full scholarships to qualified and eligible AIAN students who are accepted into the UAA Psychology Ph.D. program. The scholarships include a monthly living stipend, tuition and fees, a book allowance and research support. Upon graduation, ANPsych Scholars are expected to provide health care in organizations that serve AIAN communities.
For more information about the new ANPsych Program, visit the ANPsych website at uaa.alaska.edu/ansych.
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – An Anchorage family is left in limbo after learning their son’s body was not one of the two found, after his fishing vessel capsized on Dec. 1.
Warren Brown told Alaska’s News Source on Wednesday that state medical examiners told him his son Mike Brown was not one of the two bodies found near the shoreline of Southeast Alaska.
“If it wasn’t Michael, it was somebody else that we care about too, on the crew,” Brown said. “I can’t explain the emotions…we grieve for the whole crew.”
Brown’s son was one of five crew members on board the fishing vessel Wind Walker, which capsized earlier this month. Crewmembers still missing include Travis Kapp, Alex Ireland, Emilio Celaya, and Jacob Hannah.
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On Monday, two bodies were found near the debris of the Wind Walker.
“It’s devastating and I don’t know if we’ll ever get closure until all five are found,” Patricia Brown, Mike’s mom, said.
Celaya’s family shared with Alaska’s News Source on Wednesday that they have yet to hear an update. They have also declined an interview. Alaska’s News Source also reached out to both the Hannah and Ireland families but did not hear back from either.
Meanwhile, the Kapp family said they were not providing comment at the request of their attorney.
Brown said he is unsure if the information shared on Wednesday is consoling, as he and his wife continue to wonder where their son is.
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The family plans to host a memorial to honor their son’s life and his fellow crew mates.
“These men, Michael, spent his last days and hours with,” Patricia Brown said. “We need to pay them tribute. It’s really important to.”
Alaska State Troopers have yet to release a formal update on the identification of the two bodies that were found on a shore near Hoonah Monday evening. Alaska’s News Source reached out to the examiner’s office for confirmation of the body not being Mike but has yet to hear back.
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are teaming up to make international travel even more accessible.
Starting in 2025, Seattle will become a new starting point for offering nonstop flights to Tokyo Narita (NRT), Japan, and Seoul Incheon (ICN), South Korea.
Daily nonstop service between Seattle and Tokyo Narita will begin May 12, 2025, giving travelers in the Pacific Northwest a convenient option to explore Japan, according to Alaska Airlines. Flights will be operated by Hawaiian Airlines, offering a seamless and comfortable experience.
For those dreaming of South Korea, nonstop flights to Seoul Incheon are set to launch in October 2025. Tickets for these flights will be available for purchase early next year.
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Seattle is already Alaska Air Group’s largest hub on the West Coast, connecting travelers to 104 nonstop destinations across North America. With these new international routes, the airline group is expanding its horizons even further. By 2030, Alaska Air Group plans to serve at least 12 nonstop global destinations from Seattle using long-haul widebody aircraft.
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Mizzou Engineer Sharan Srinivas is improving freight and fuel truck operations at the Port of Alaska through cutting-edge simulation modeling and the development of an innovative digital communication platform.
A Mizzou Engineering team is making significant strides in improving freight and fuel truck operations at the Port of Alaska. This two-pronged project, led by Sharan Srinivas, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering, is funded by the Alaska Department of Transportation (AKDOT) and aims to enhance operational efficiency, reduce congestion and empower stakeholders with data-driven tools.
The Port of Alaska plays a critical role in delivering goods to 90% of the state’s population, with up to 1,300 trucks entering and exiting the port on peak days. With all traffic relying on a single entry and exit road, potential disruptions could have severe economic and societal consequences.
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“Efficient port operations are crucial for the state’s economy and the quality of life of its residents,” Srinivas said. “Our goal is to equip stakeholders with tools that ensure operations can continue smoothly, even in the face of unexpected disruptions.”
Progress with Simulation Models
Over the last several months, the team has developed a sophisticated simulation model to assess truck movements and evaluate the impact of potential disruptions within the port. This virtual representation of real-world operations helped identify nine critical road segments where disruptions could hinder day-to-day activities. For each potential bottleneck, the team designed alternative routes, tested these scenarios in the model and provided tailored recommendations to stakeholders.
“We’ve made great progress in building a system that not only helps stakeholders understand baseline performance but also empowers them to evaluate the impact of long-term and short-term disruptions,” Srinivas said. “Through the use of our cloud-based platform, iFreightOps, stakeholders can now conduct scenario analyses and compare feasible alternatives in terms of implementation ease and performance.”
The iFreightOps digital communication portal enables port administrators to report six types of incidents—maintenance, route changes, emergency responses, traffic congestion, equipment breakdowns and accidents. Each report includes visual markers, severity levels and estimated resolution times.
“Right now, trucking companies have limited visibility into Port-related disruptions,” Srinivas said. “Our portal bridges this gap by providing real-time updates and recommendations so companies can better plan their operations and avoid unnecessary congestion.”
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The system also integrates predictive analytics based on historical data to forecast daily truck traffic patterns and potential congestion zones, ensuring stakeholders have a proactive approach to managing operations. Alerts for new incidents are automatically disseminated via text and email to subscribed users.
Anticipated Improvements and Stakeholder Feedback
The platform has already demonstrated its potential to revolutionize operations at the Port of Alaska. By reducing incident communication time from 20 minutes to near real-time and enabling traffic to bypass disruptions with minimal delays, iFreightOps is poised to significantly improve truck turnaround times. Early estimates suggest that the platform can mitigate delays with only a 5-10% increase in turnaround time during disruptions, a vast improvement compared to current conditions.
Stakeholders have expressed enthusiasm about the system. Port administrators and trucking companies participating in beta testing have praised the portal’s capabilities, citing its potential to support data-driven decision-making.
“Our stakeholders are thrilled with what we’ve developed so far,” Srinivas said. “They’ve highlighted how the portal will help them make more informed decisions and manage disruptions more effectively.”
Scalability and Future Plans
With innovative tools like iFreightOps, the Mizzou Engineering team is not only addressing immediate challenges at the Port of Alaska but also setting the stage for a smarter, more efficient future for port operations across the country.
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The team plans to refine the portal based on stakeholder feedback and deploy the system with the Anchorage municipality’s IT team. Plans are also in motion to develop a modular framework that can be scaled and adapted for other ports across the nation.
“The goal is to create a scalable solution that other ports can customize to their unique needs,” Srinivas said. “By working with AKDOT and the Port of Alaska, we’re setting a precedent for using technology to improve port operations nationwide.”
The project is a collaborative effort involving Suchi Rajendran, an assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering, Prasad Calyam, Curators’ Distinguished Professor, and students from industrial and systems engineering, electrical engineering, computer science and data informatics. Students Ray Wood, Matt Floyd, Nima Raad, Vamsi Pusapati, Hemanth Yeddulapalli and Karan Karthik have been instrumental in developing the simulation models and digital platform.
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