2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

An Indigenous University Program Uses the Continuous Improvement Model to Build a Better Home Away From Home

Presented at Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND) Technical Session 16

The Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) at the University of Alaska (UA) is a program aimed at increasing the representation of Indigenous People in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The program started with one university student and now provides a longitudinal pipeline for engaging and retaining thousands of Native Students in STEM from kindergarten through to the doctorate (K-PhD). University Success, the college component of the ANSEP pipeline, provides scaffolding and support to advance Alaska Native and rural students' success through a dedicated building and community space, scholarships, weekly team-building meetings, mandatory study groups, and paid internships with industry, state, and federal partners.

This immense growth is because ANSEP follows the models of a learning community and continuous improvement. It has included multiple studies that explored the university students’ perspectives on which supports contribute to their success and prioritizing future programmatic improvements. These studies have shown that the home away from home environment ANSEP has created has successfully engaged and retained students through graduation. However, there have been many improvements within ANSEP since the last study conducted in 2018, namely the suite of pre-college components has been greatly expanded, making it a vast pipeline. The question is: Which specific supports did the students indicate most contributed to ANSEP developing the home away from home environment and what improvements have been made that affect future improvement cycles and studies? The answers will help ANSEP improve its University Success component and also help ANSEP to continue to grow its pre-college components. ANSEP will also use these answers to target funding support based on the findings and to launch a new study in 2025.

Authors

Dr. Skyler J Kern http://orcid.org/0009-0005-1437-7196 University of Alaska Anchorage [biography]

Skyler Kern is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). Skyler was born, raised, and educated in Alaska which fostered a deep appreciation for the lands, waters, and peoples around the state. As a professor at UAA, he seeks to advance education and research on topics relevant to Alaskan communities, especially Indigenous communities.
Dr. Michele Yatchmeneff University of Alaska Anchorage [biography]

Michele Yatchmeneff is Unangax. She earned a BS in Civil Engineering in 2005 and an MS in Engineering Management in 2009 at University of Alaska Anchorage. She earned her PhD from Purdue University in Engineering Education in 2015.
Dr. Linda P Lazzell University of Alaska Anchorage [biography]

Dr. Linda Lazzell is Vice Chancellor Emerita for Student Affairs at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). During her tenure at UAA, Dr. Lazzell led development of student-centered programs and services that increased student success. Dr. Herbert Ilisaurri Schroeder and Dr. Lazzell led the establishment of the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP) as the first residential academic learning community on the UAA campus. Dr. Lazzell is a co-recipient of the 2009-2010 Thomas M. Mangoon Excellence in Counseling Award from the American College Personnel Association, Commission for Counseling and Psychological Services; and the 2009 Grand Gold Award, Student Recruitment Video, District VIII from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, for “Villagers in the City”. Dr. Lazzell is a higher education consultant.
Dr. Matt Calhoun http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2093-1817 University of Alaska Anchorage [biography]

Matt Calhoun is an Athabaskan Indian from the Upper Kuskokwim River region who grew up in Homer, Alaska. In 2002 he was one of the first students in the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program ( ANSEP™) to graduate and earn a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Alaska Anchorage. After being employed in the construction industry, he returned to work with ANSEP™ as Pre-College Program Director in 2006 with the purpose of motivating and empowering more Alaska Native high school students to pursue a degree in science or engineering. Matt has now earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees and is the only Alaska Native in the world to complete a doctorate in civil engineering. He is now an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage and mentors engineering students while working with ANSEP™.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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