State of the University Address THIS WEEK 

Save the date for the State of the University Address, to be delivered by University of Alaska Interim President Pat Pitney at 12 p.m.,  February 24.

This address is being presented through CommonWealth North and is supported in part by the University of Alaska Foundation.

This event will be held virtually. Those who wish to participate via Zoom must register ahead of time.

A live stream of the event will be available online.

Save the Date for Upcoming KPC Showcase!

The KPC Showcase Presents: An Evening with Author Andromeda Romano-Lax

This event will be held at 6 p.m., March 24, via Zoom.

Andromeda Romano-Lax is the author of five novels, published in 11 languages, including her latest: Annie and the Wolves (Fed. 2021), an Oprah, Buzzfeed, Popsugar, and The Millions "Most Anticipated" pick.

Romano-Lax will talk about the process of writing and publishing her latest novel, which she almost gave up on several times over a decade. She will also cover general topics of interest to writers and readers, including structure, cross-genre and non-realist approaches, research and revision, as well as how COVID has changed her own attitudes about marketing her book and interacting more directly with the reading public. 

University of Alaska Board of Regents Meeting

The UA Board of Regents will convene a meeting of the full board Feb. 25 and 26 to discuss issues including UAA athletics, the Alaska College of Education, board goals and measures, and to hear committee reports and updates from UA Interim President Pat Pitney, university chancellors, and governance groups. Regents also will be given an in-depth look at the College of Health through a “Did You Know” video and presentation on the overall success of health programs.

The meeting is scheduled to take place from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.,  Feb. 25 and 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.,  Feb. 26.

The meeting, with the exception of any executive sessions, will be livestreamed.

The meeting agenda is available on BoardDocs.

Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference Early- Bird Registration Deadline

The deadline for early-bird registration is Feb. 28. 

Registration fees are $50 for University of Alaska students and $80 for the general public until February 28, and $100 thereafter.

This May 15-18 will mark the return of the Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference after a year’s hiatus. For nineteen years, the conference has brought together hundreds of writers from around the state and the country to learn from nationally-renowned faculty. Due to COVID mandates, this year’s conference will be entirely virtual.

Conference participants can take part in twelve classes, three writers’ craft conversations, a panel discussion by writers from the Peabody Award-winning PBS show Molly of Denali, as well as various networking and community building activities.

This year’s faculty includes:

• Francisco Cantú, winner of the 2018 Los Angeles Times Book Prize and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in nonfiction
• Victoria Chang, National Book Award finalist for poetry and Guggenheim Fellow
• Brandon Hobson, National Book Award finalist for fiction
• Marie Mutsuki Mockett, finalist for the PEN Open Book Award
• Anis Mojgani, current Poet Laureate of Oregon and two-time individual champion of the National Poetry Slam and winner of the International World Cup Poetry Slam
• Vera Starbard, Playwright-in-Residence at Perseverance Theater through the Andrew W. Mellon National Playwright Residency Program and Editor of First Alaskans Magazine.

To learn more about this year’s conference, read about the faculty, and look at the schedule check out the conference website.

Fellow the Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference Facebook. 

The Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference is a program of the Kachemak Bay Campus of the Kenai Peninsula College.  

Blue Moose Animal Therapy Center Job Opening

The Blue Moose Animal Therapy Center is looking to add some new team members in the coming months. 

If you love dogs and have always wanted to work with them, then this may be the job for you!

The following is from Ellen Adlam, CEO:

We are looking for folks that can work both independently as well as with a team, are self-motivated and able to prioritize a variety of tasks that need to be accomplished each shift and can function well in what can sometimes be a very chaotic environment. We have a variety of shifts that can include weekend and evening hours, and we are willing to look at both full and/or part-time employment for the right people. 

If you are thinking, “Great! I can sit around and play with dogs all day!” then you need not apply.  The job can be both physically and mentally demanding, and although there are some slow times where you will get to be with the dogs, there is always work to be done, and let’s face it, there is not a lot of glamor in caring for live animals that pee and poop a lot!

But, the rewards of helping a new dog gain confidence around other dogs and learning about dog behaviors in a group setting more than make up for the non-glamorous parts.  You will go home tired some days, but it is hard not to smile as you realize how much love, affection, and care you got to give and receive while working with the dogs in our Center. 

If you think that you may be interested in working with us, please email bmatcstaff@gmail.com or drop off a resume, and we can go from there.

Check us out on the web or give us a call at 907-262-8245 if you need more information or have questions for us.