August 23, 2001» NR 14-01

University of Alaska President Mark R. Hamilton announced today that Karen Perdue, Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), will join his executive staff as an associate vice president later this fall.

Perdue’s appointment follows word from Washington, D. C., that a UA proposal has been awarded $485,000 to implement a program for coordination and enhancement of the UA health and human service programs. The announcement was made in the nation’s capital by the Office of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services.

“It is with great pleasure that I am able to offer you a position as the principal investigator for a recently funded program through the DHHS office Health Resources and Services Administration. The program will work with UA campuses and Alaska’s health community to provide coordination and capacity building in response to the state’s most significant health and social science needs,” Hamilton wrote in a letter to Perdue.

Perdue will be a member of Hamilton’s executive staff at a salary of $100,000 annually. Hamilton said UA is in the key role to provide education, basic and applied research and public service programs to support and advance the goals identified earlier this year in a planning initiative done by the state DHSS under Perdue’s leadership.

Perdue will work in partnership with other Alaska health and social science programs, providing essential communication and representation for the university in the development, delivery and facilitation of programs and services. Perdue’s office will serve as the primary facilitating entity within the university in the development of collaborative programs between campuses and as the chief advisor on health and social science issues to the president.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Bob Miller, 907-474-6311