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Joel spent most of his life in Blairsville, a small town outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He always dreamed of adventure and followed those dreams to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. After coming to UAF to study Wildlife Biology and Conservation, he began working at Residence Life and quickly fell in love with working with students. 

The opportunities he had to earn a degree and experience Alaska with some of the kindest people he’d ever met was unimaginable and life changing. Joel graduated from UAF in 2019 and immediately began working in the Office of Admissions, hoping to help other out-of-state students achieve the opportunity to explore Alaska as a part of Nanook Nation. 

Outside of work, Joel loves spending time with his wife and friends, playing video games, board games and Dungeons and Dragons! He can also be found playing soccer on the Nanook Recreation fields or carving the slopes of Skiland with friends.

Kendrick was born in Alaska and grew up in the village of Kwethluk on the Lower Kuskokwim River. He is an Alumni of Mt. Edgecumbe High School, a challenging and life changing boarding school located in Sitka, Alaska. Before college, he participated in the Rural Alaska Honors Institute (RAHI) and the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP). Both are amazing summer programs designed to prepare high school students for college.

At UAF he also participated in the Biomedical Learning and Student Training program helping with multiple scientific research projects. Through this experience he learned in depth how science works from the help of Research Advising Mentoring Professionals (RAMPS). He was able to work with live reindeer and traveled to the Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference to present the research he was helping with.

He graduated from UAF with a Bachelors of Science in Natural Resource Management and a Minor in Fisheries. During his time at UAF he enjoyed the interconnected community across campus and learned how tightly knit together it is. He also enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters.

Caitlin was born and raised in Washington state. After visiting Alaska on a family fishing trip, she fell in love with the beauty of the state and decided to make Alaska her home. Prior to working at UAF, she worked as a tour director in Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Caitlin first served as an admissions counselor at UAF from 2012-2017, and then went to work for the UA Scholars Program and Alaska 529 Plan at the University of Alaska. She is excited to return to UAF Admissions, as she loves working directly with students and families. Caitlin believes choosing your path after high school is a huge life moment, and she loves helping guide and support students through the college selection and enrollment process. 

After earning her degree in Sport Management with a concentration in Communication, Caitlin knew she wanted to work with student athletes in some capacity, and she serves as  the admissions counselor for student athletes. When Caitlin is not working, she enjoys spending time with her two kids and husband, and traveling to explore new places and see family and friends. She also loves yoga, eating delicious food (Mexican and Thai are favorites!), attending  Alaska Nanook athletic events and curling at the Fairbanks Curling Club!  

Palmer joined the admissions team in 2017, bringing over thirty years of admissions experience with him. He loves helping students by connecting them to resources that help them achieve their goals. Palmer is based outside of Portland to better serve UAF's prospective students in Oregon and Washington.

Some of Palmer's favorite things are traveling, Words with Friends, Survivor, Diet Pepsi, podcasts about Disney World, collecting interesting quotes and —last but not least — going on Daddy-Daughter Dates with his two 12-year-olds.

He is a past president of the Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling and was MVP of his high school's junior varsity basketball team when he was in 9th grade.

Andrew joined the admissions team in early 2020, thrilled to reconnect with Fairbanks, a place he had previously called home. He attended UAF from 2016-2019, graduating with an MFA in Screenwriting. In addition to teaching in UAF’s English department, he also spent time DJing at KSUA college radio, interning at University of Alaska Press, and tutoring at Rural Student Services.

While Andrew loves Alaska—ask him about the time he saw the northern lights on an ice-fishing trip at Chena Lakes—he is proud to have grown up in Columbus, Ohio. His work in both the English and Psychology departments as an undergraduate student  helped foster his passion for working with students. Seeking a fresh perspective, he chose UAF for grad school. He is now based in Los Angeles, where he can better serve UAF’s prospective students throughout the awesome state of California.

Outside of work, Andrew’s passions include, but are not limited to: movie soundtracks, reading and writing poetry, the acclaimed teen drama —The OC, hiking and doing yoga in LA, stories from a long time ago in a galaxy far far away, a hot cup of black coffee every morning, and his three siblings (a.k.a. his best buds).

Born in Fairbanks, Robert is thrilled to return to the place he calls home after years of pursuing higher education and theatre in the Lower 48. In 2009, Robert earned his B.A. in theatre and upon graduating, spent an inspiring year working with the Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre.

Rejuvenated by the land of the midnight sun, Robert earned an MFA in theatre directing. Among his theatrical endeavors, Robert has worked with the Great Plains Theatre, Austin Shakespeare Theatre, Texas Shakespeare Festival and FronteraFest as an actor, director, playwright and teacher.

Currently, Robert lives in Fairbanks and is working toward finishing a Ph.D. His research focuses on cross-cultural collaboration, Alaska Native theatre and the way organizational structures affect meaning-making in theatre.

All that said, Robert loves hitting the ski trails at UAF, walking his dog at Creamer’s Field and spending time with his family. He is always — always — down for a cup of coffee and a good mystery novel.

Anna was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska. As an undergraduate student, she took advantage of an international student exchange program to spend a year in Lille, France where she spent a lot of time with a modern dance troupe. Upon her return in 2005, she arrived in Fairbanks as a transfer student and promptly fell in love with the people, personality and campus of UAF.

Anna graduated from UAF in 2009 with a B.A. in Theater and History. She has worked at UAF since 2012, and she is very excited to work with prospective students to help them achieve their educational goals.

Outside of UAF, Anna enjoys working on her small farm with her husband and children. Her family currently lives in an off-grid farmhouse, raising chickens, goats, bees and pigs. She loves coffee with a deep passion and at last count had six separate devices for making coffee in her home.