John was born and raised in a small town in Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River. He’s always had an interest in stories, art and nature. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and then moved to northern Japan to teach English in the JET Program. While in Japan, he began to study ceramics with a family of Japanese potters.

After returning to the U.S. he continued to pursue ceramics and eventually earned his Master of Fine Arts Degree at UAF. After graduating John has worked as a guide in the Arctic and has continued at UAF as an adjunct instructor, admissions counselor, and academic advisor. Outside of work, John enjoys spinning yarns, romping in the outdoors, cooking, sweating in a sauna, and watching things grow.

Biography for the Dean of General Studies:
Alexandra Fitts completed her B.A. in Political Science at Furman University (Greeneville, SC), her M.A. in Spanish at Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH), and her Ph.D. in Romance Studies with certificates in Latin American Studies and Women’s Studies at Duke University (Durham, NC). She joined the UAF faculty in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures in 1995 and was subsequently tenured and promoted to Professor. She served as Chair of the Department of Foreign Languages for six years, and as Coordinator of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program for three years.

Dr. Fitts’ research focuses on contemporary Spanish and Latin American literature, concentrating on women writers and the links between gender, language, and power. She has published a number of articles on writers from Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Chile, Puerto Rico, and the United States. She lived and studied in Spain and in Argentina, and has twice been a faculty member at UAF’s Study Abroad site in Oviedo, Spain.

As dean for the Division of General Studies (undeclared baccalaureate students and premajors) she supervises the Academic Advising Center, Testing Services, the federally funded Student Support Services and Upward Bound (TRIO) Programs, Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity (URSA) and the Honors College.