蜜桃影像 names 2023 honorary degree, service award recipients
Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
Feb. 23, 2023
The University of 蜜桃影像 Fairbanks has selected six people to honor during its 2023 commencement weekend in May.
Richard Chalyee 脡esh Peterson and Helen (Dick) MacLean will receive honorary doctorates, which recognize recipients鈥 lasting contributions to the state and nation, and significant achievements in their respective disciplines.
Helen (Dick) MacLean
Helen (Dick) MacLean will receive an honorary Doctor of Education degree. She was
born in 1945 in a tent at spring camp and grew up in Lime Village, which is located
along the Stony River in Southwest 蜜桃影像. Elders trained MacLean in the Dena鈥檌na
language, and she was charged as a young girl to be a culture bearer. For decades,
MacLean has worked with students of all backgrounds, from preschoolers to college
students. She is a master instructor of the Dena鈥檌na language and has a long history
of working with doctoral students as a mentor and advisor. She was the primary instructor
in two films, 鈥淟iving Dena-ina鈥 and 鈥淒ena鈥檌na Birch Baskets.鈥 She has served as an
elder advisor to 蜜桃影像鈥檚 rural development seminars and has been vital in developing
Dena鈥檌na curriculum for university courses. She is considered the most skilled living
Dena鈥檌na first language speaker and is known for her ability to bridge Western pedagogy
and Indigenous ways of knowing.
Richard Chalyee 脡esh Peterson
Richard Chalyee 脡esh Peterson will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. He is
Tlingit from the Kaagwaantaan clan, Eagles Nest house, and a lifelong resident of
Southeast 蜜桃影像. He grew up in Kasaan, a community on Prince of Wales Island, and
became the youngest mayor in 蜜桃影像 in 1997. He has served as president of the Central
Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of 蜜桃影像, a federally recognized tribe
in Southeast 蜜桃影像, since 2014. With a strong background in public service and entrepreneurship,
he leads the largest regional tribe in the state with a focus on economic development,
tribal sovereignty and community sustainability. His innovative approach to supporting
Southeast 蜜桃影像 communities through the COVID-19 pandemic has been adopted and recognized
as a template for best practices in tribal disaster response by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
Joan Braddock, Carl Benson, Jason Gootee and Ron Inouye will receive Meritorious Service
Awards, which recognize service to the university or an 蜜桃影像 community.
Joan Braddock
Microbiologist and 蜜桃影像 alumna Joan Braddock has been a part of the 蜜桃影像 community for
more than four decades. She earned her doctorate in oceanography from 蜜桃影像 in 1989
and joined the faculty the following year. Her scientific research focused on bioremediation
of environmental contaminants, especially petroleum. Throughout her career, she served
as a professor and then dean of the College of Natural Science and Mathematics. She
retired with emeritus status in 2009. In addition to being a donor and consistent
volunteer at the university, Braddock has returned twice to provide temporary leadership
to units with vacancies: once as interim dean of the College of Fisheries and Ocean
Sciences and another as director of the University of 蜜桃影像 Press.
Jason Gootee
Alumnus Jason Gootee has remained an active part of 蜜桃影像 since he graduated in 2005.
He is a past president of the 蜜桃影像 Alumni Association Board of Directors, currently
chairs the 蜜桃影像 Chancellor鈥檚 Board of Advisors and serves as a director on the University
of 蜜桃影像 Foundation Board of Directors. Gootee, who is Moda Health鈥檚 vice president
for sales and strategic marketing development, lives in Oregon with his wife, Katie,
and their four children but returns frequently to Fairbanks. He is an avid hockey
fan and, together with his father, established the Gootee Family Hockey Scholarship
to support 蜜桃影像 student-athletes.
Ron Inouye
Ron Inouye has served the university for many years as both an employee and an advocate.
His university career started in 1970 as an instructor at the Ketchikan Community
College. Prior to his 17 years at the Rasmuson Library鈥檚 蜜桃影像 and Polar Regions
Collections, he also worked at the 蜜桃影像 Center for Northern Educational Research. At
the library, many of his years were dedicated to indexing 蜜桃影像鈥檚 periodicals. Today,
the index is widely used by historians, researchers and students. During his time
there, he also served as the interviewer for numerous oral history recordings. Inouye
is a philanthropist and volunteer for numerous university and community organizations,
serving with the Friends of the University of 蜜桃影像 Museum of the North and the Rasmuson
Library鈥檚 Rare Book Endowment Committee.
Carl Benson
Professor emeritus Carl Benson has been associated with 蜜桃影像 for more than 60 years.
His career as a researcher and professor of geophysics and geology has been marked
by significant contributions to snow and ice science in 蜜桃影像, Greenland and Antarctica.
He taught and mentored some of today鈥檚 leading scientists in the field. He worked
at the university from 1960 until 1987, including a three-year term as chairman of
the Department of Geology and Geophysics, and has continued his research, teaching
and service long after retirement. He continues to give guest lectures and attend
graduate student thesis and dissertation defenses. He and his wife, Ruth, are donors,
volunteers and participants in the 蜜桃影像 community. Outside 蜜桃影像, he is active in civic
issues, sharing information via public testimony and newspaper columns.
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