Current Doctoral Students
ACNS Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program
Jennie Armstrong
Entered program: Spring 2026
Primary interest: U.S. Arctic Policy Since the Cold War
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
Education:
Certificate in International Human Rights Law, Oxford University (New College), 2012
M.A. International Law and Public Policy from the American University of Paris, 2012
B.A. Mass Commuications from Louisiana State University, 2011
Email: jarmstrong5@alaska.edu
Research interests: Arctic Policy, peacebuilding and post-conflict resolution, Cold War and Russian history, international relations, Nation-state Arctic identities
Roman Cain
Entered program: 2025
Primary interest: Polar exploration of the late nineteenth and early 20th centuries
Adviser: Mary Ludwig
Hometown: Edwards AFB, California
Education:
Ohio State University
M.A. Public History, 2023
B.A. Military History, 2023
Email: rhcain@alaska.edu
Research interests: Research interests: Historic cases of survival cannibalism, maritime and expedition disaster narratives, IPY-1, social and cultural historiography during the Age of Polar Exploration, private journal and “small” histories es.
Dana Lindauer
Advisers: Phil Wight, Rich Hum
Hometown: Fairbanks, AK
Education:
University of Alaska Fairbanks, M.Ed in Elementary Education, 2019
Bates College, BA in Classical and Medieval Studies, 2011
Email: delindauer@alaska.edu
Research interests: History and policy of teacher recruitment and retention in Alaska, storytelling, evaluation, communication
Maureen Long
Entered program: 2018
Primary interest: Literature of the Canadian North and Alaska
Adviser: Eric Heyne
Hometown: Whitehorse, Yukon
Education:
University of Alaska Fairbanks
M.A. Northern Studies, 2003
University of Saskatchewan
Bachelor of Education, 1992
University of Saskatchewan
B.A. Honors English, 1991
Email: mlong9@alaska.edu
Research interests: Margaret Atwood and the Canadian North, North and Canadian Identity, Animal Studies and Ecocriticism, Literature of Alaska and the Yukon, Environmental History of Northern North America
Madeleine (Maddi) McArthur
Entered program: INDS ACNS Progrm 2025
Primary interest: Disaster Management Systems in Alaska
Hometown: Glide, OR
Education:
H.B.S. Zoology, Oregon State University, 2021
M.S. Marine Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2023
Email: mgmcarthur@alaska.edu
Research interests: Natural hazards, disaster management, social-ecological systems, social learning,
community-engaged research, AI/LLM policy
Jody Simpson
Entered program: INDS Program, Spring 2019; ACNS Program, Fall, 2020
Primary interest: Social Capital in Alaska
Adviser: Amy Lovecraft
Hometown: Big Lake, Alaska
Education:
University od Alaska Anchorage
B.A. English Literature,1985
University of Alaska Southeast
Masters of Public Administration, 2016
Email: jesimpson@alaska.edu
Research interests: Social capital, economic and community development; subjective well-being; circumpolar issues; Alaskan policy issues.
Kristine Swain
Entered Program: 2021
Primary Interest: History of Canadian-American military cooperation in Alaska through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)
Adviser: Dr. Philip Wight
Hometown: Eagle River, Alaska
Education:
University of Kansas
M.A. Soviet and East European Studies, 1992
United States Air Force Academy
B.S. Russian History, 1991
Email: kswain@alaska.edu
Research Interests: History of Canadian-American military relations in Alaska, US and Canadian Arctic security strategy and policy, environmental, economic, societal and political impact of military operations in Alaska, Cold War History, Russian and Soviet History
Alex Taitt
Entered program: 2021
Primary interest: Digital Heritage Preservation
Advisers: Brandon Boylan & Medeia Csoba DeHass
Hometown: Anchorage, AK | Dena’ina Ełnena
Education:
University of Alaska Anchorage
M.A. Anthropology, 2017
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
B.A. Anthropology, 2015
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
B.A. Computer Science, 2015
Email: antaitt@alaska.edu
Research interests: Digital heritage preservation, 3D cultural heritage preservation, 3D modeling of
Arctic and sub-Arctic cultural heritage, ethics and practice of 3D modeling, co-production
of knowledge with Indigenous communities, decolonizing museums, STEAM education
Forest Wagner
Entered program: 2019
Primary interest: Place Identity
Advisers: David Koester, Mary Ehrlander
Hometown: Fairbanks, AK
Education:
University of Alaska Southeast
B.L.A. Interdisciplinary Studies, 2005
University of Alaska Fairbanks
M.A. Arctic and Northern Studies, 2017
Email: fjwagner@alaska.edu
Research interests: Affective and narrative dimensions of climate change on the lived experience of high latitude peoples
Leanna Williams
Entered program: 2020
Primary interest: Cultural memory of Alaska and polar aviation
Adviser: Brandon Boylan
Hometown: Fairbanks, Alaska
Education:
University of Alaska Fairbanks
M.A. Northern Studies, 2019
Linfield College
B.A. Mass Communication, 2004
Email: lprax1@alaska.edu
Research interests: History of technology, aviation history, infrastructure development, and museum studies.