Thriving Indigenous Communities: Bridging Research and Real-World Impact

Professor Jessica Ross is Dena'ina Dene (Athabascan) and currently serves the Native Village of Eklutna as the Vice President of the traditional tribal council. She also serves her community as the Vice-Chair of the Eklutna Tribal Health Board and serves as a member of the Alaska Native Health Board. Professor Ross has worked in academia for over ten years, beginning her teaching journey in the University of Alaska Dental Programs, where she taught head and neck anatomy, dental hygiene instrumentation, patient care, and led the senior clinical practicum. While working on her Master's degree in Education, Professor Ross developed a Culturally Responsive and Trauma-Informed curriculum for her dental hygiene students. The curriculum was significantly well received, so much so that she now provides this training to all College of Health students and practicing professionals through her work in the Alaska Native Studies Program, the Department of Human Services, and her partnerships with the State of Alaska's Department of Health. Professor Ross also founded the Nughejagh Project (New-Hah-Jaw), which aims to improve healthcare systems that serve Indigenous populations by helping health professionals appreciate the Indigenous perspective on health and wellness, protect sacred cultural sites, and develop tools that empower Indigenous people to embrace their cultural identity and reawaken healthy cultural practices.

Kristin Stoepler, is a health workforce development consultant and Certified Health Education Specialist with expertise in health education, curriculum design, workforce development, and educational innovation. As the former Chair of the Health Sciences Program at the University of Alaska Anchorage, she integrated artificial intelligence tools into health educator training to support professional preparation, communication skill development, motivational interviewing, and engagement with diverse populations. Kristin has trained future health professionals and health educators through competency-based learning approaches and is passionate about the ethical and effective use of emerging technologies to strengthen workforce readiness and health education practice.