The Arctic Health Emerging Professional Award was originally called the Albrecht – Milan Emerging Professional Award (AMEPA).
Here is some of the background for the Arctic Health Emerging Professional Award:
The Albrecht Milan Foundation (AMF) is currently doing business as the Arctic Health Foundation. In 2010 the Albrecht Milan Foundation (AMF) announced the inception of the new Albrecht – Milan Emerging Professional Award (AMEPA). In the spirit of both C. Earl Albrecht and Fred Milan this award to be presented annually to best emerging investigator’s presentation on circumpolar health at the Annual Arctic Health Science Seminar.
The presentations will be judged on their scientific method, relevance to circumpolar health, respect of culture, and clarity. The quality of presentation will be evaluated by a committee of Albrecht Milan Board members, Board members of the American Society for Circumpolar Health, as well as University of Alaska and Alaska Pacific University academic staff.
There has been a long-standing need for the exchange of investigations on health issues, as well as the results of recent research and demonstrated solutions to problems for the benefit of humankind. Arctic communities, with the general and specific health problems found in this region, obviously share this need with the rest of the world. The health problems and needs of northern peoples has become the focus of the Albrecht Milan Foundation which is dedicated to the health problems of the circumpolar regions.
The circumpolar health movement began in the 1960’s in order to bring together medical scientists, health care specialists, health administrators, and indigenous peoples of the Far North. The purpose of these efforts was, and still is, to share research findings and program successes that are unique to these regions of the world in order to reduce death, disease, and disability, and to improve the quality of life for all those living in the North. It is hoped that the Albrecht Milan Award will continue to further those goals
Criteria
The presentations will be judged by a committee of:
- An Albrecht Milan Board member
- An American Society for Circumpolar Health Board member
- Alaska academic staff to include: University of Alaska at Anchorage and/or Fairbanks campuses, and Alaska Pacific University academic staff, if available
On the following criteria:
- Scientific method
- Relevance to circumpolar health
- Respect for culture
- Clarity of presentation
2024 Award Winners
Emily Maxwell
Emily Maxwell was born and raised in Palmer Alaska. In August 2024, Emily received her PhD in Epidemiology from the Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She received her undergraduate degree in Geography from Dartmouth College in 2014 and her Master of Public Health degree from UAA in 2021. She currently works full time in the health communications field and part time assisting with research at the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies at UAA. When not working on school, she enjoys spending time outside with her two dogs, hiking around the Matsu Valley.
Abstract
Exploring COVID-19 Misinformation on Alaska-Based Social Media
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic created an influx of misinformation and false narratives, triggering an infodemic of unparalleled magnitude. Natural language processing is a machine learning method used to gain insight into infodemics, particularly with large datasets. Objectives: This study assessed the feasibility of utilizing a social media listening tool and natural language processing methods to produce a model of misinformation topics. We sought to identify and understand the prevalent themes in COVID-19 misinformation. Design: Data were collected from select Facebook pages from 2021 to 2022. We utilized LDA, a natural language processing technique, for topic modeling. Methods: Data were preprocessed into a suitable format for input into an LDA model. LDA then identified latent topics by using qualitative interpretation of the most salient words. A time series analysis then identified trends in misinformation over the monitoring period. Results: A total of 4,265 unique posts were collected from 30 websites, out of which four main topics emerged: “treatment,” “vaccine safety,” “false reporting,” and “COVID spread.” Each had a specific peak period coinciding with key events in the pandemic, illustrating the potential benefit of using LDA for identification and classification of COVID-19 misinformation. This approach provides a foundation for addressing misinformation as well as informing evidence-based strategies to combat the misinformation and enhance public health communication.
Ashley Hearn
Ashley Hearn is a current graduate student in the Master of Public Health program at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and alumnus of the first cohort of McNair Scholars at UAA. Ashley was a participant with the Applied Environmental Research Center (AERC) in 2021 and 2022, where she contributed to fish, moose, and bat research on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER). She also completed a Community Development Public Health Fellowship in 2023 with Cook Inlet Housing Authority where she assisted in developing, conducting, and analyzing resident surveys utilizing Participatory Action Research (PAR) principles. Ashley’s public health interests include climate change, urban design, and policy. In her free time, Ashley enjoys practicing yoga, cross country skiing, amateur beekeeping, and learning to knit.
Abstract
Resident building evaluation of a senior housing building
Background & Purpose. The presenter will discuss the process of completing a resident building evaluation of a senior housing building located in South Anchorage, AK. The building, named Qevu, is a newly developed senior housing property in Cook Inlet Housing Authority’s (CIHA) portfolio. The resident building evaluation was conducted by CIHA’s Community Development Dept., along with the 2023 Community Development Public Health Fellow, Ashley Hearn. CIHA is a tribally designated housing entity serving the Cook Inlet region whose mission is to create housing opportunities that build community and empower the people of Southcentral AK. The purpose of this building evaluation was to collect and analyze feedback from residents’ lived experience one year into operations, then compare results to the staff evaluation of the building which occurred prior to lease-ups. Methods/Activities. CIHA piloted an approach new to the organization, called Participatory Action Research (PAR), for resident outreach aimed at building trust with residents through more intentional participatory survey methods. The presenter and team offered numerous opportunities for participation, including a pre-survey gathering, five in-person survey tabling events, and a post-survey potluck. Evaluation surveys took place in October 2023, about 1.5 years after initial lease ups. Results. Out of 49 occupied units, 39 residents completed the survey (80% response rate). Residents were able to complete the survey via various methods, including email (14), paper-copies (18), phone (4), and in-person (3). Results demonstrated high satisfaction and recommendation rates, and a stable outlook. Conclusion. This evaluation process was a great opportunity to find creative ways to enhance communication between property staff, evaluation staff, resident services, and residents. It was also concluded utilizing a PAR approach was an effective method to discover resident education opportunities as well as manage expectations.