Dr. Jessica Black

Associate Vice Chancellor for Rural, Community & Native Education

Rural, Community and Native Education (CRCD)

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Website: uaf.edu/rural/

Dr. Jessica Black (she/her) is Gwich’in from the villages of Gwichyaa Zhee (Ft. Yukon) and Toghotthele (Nenana), Alaska. Dr. Black currently serves as an Associate Vice Chancellor and Associate Professor in the College of Rural and Community Development at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Dr. Black received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work (BSW) at UAF and her master’s degree and PhD in Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. Her dissertation and current research examine the relationship between governance and well-being among Alaska Native peoples, especially as it pertains to Tribal Stewardship and Cultural Connectivity.

As Associate Vice Chancellor of CRCD Dr. Black helps to elevate and support the work of the Alaska Success Initiative, the building out of the Indigenous Studies Center, and the priorities of the Vice Chancellor of CRCD.

In September 2023, the Unviersity of Alaska Foundation Board of Directors awarded Dr. Black the 2023 Bullock Prize in recognition of her service to the University of Alaska system. The Bullock Prize is awarded annually to a member of the university community in recognition that a truly great university grows as a result of personal commitments to excellence. The Prize is the most prestigious award presented by the UA Foundation each year.

Jessica resides in Fairbanks, Alaska with her family, however, she frequently returns home to Gwichyaa Zhee to hunt, fish, gather and engage in other, important cultural practices.