Jessica Black named faculty fellow for Indigenous Research

Jessica Black has been appointed as a faculty fellow for Indigenous Research at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. In this capacity, Black will serve as a liaison for Indigenous research initiatives that engage the College of Rural and Community Development campuses, faculty and programs. She will also serve as a member of the Research Planning Group led by Vice Chancellor for Research Nettie La Belle-Hamer.

Black is Gwich’in from the villages of Gwichyaa Zhee (Fort Yukon) and Toghotthele (Nenana), Alaska. Previously, she served as an associate professor for the UAF Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development and the Department of Tribal Governance.  Black was tenured and promoted to associate professor in May 2021. 

Black’s current research examines the relationship between governance and well-being among Alaska Native peoples, especially as it pertains to tribal stewardship and cultural connectivity. She received her bachelor’s degree in social work at UAF and her master’s degree and Ph.D. in social work at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

The position of a faculty fellow for Indigenous Research is supportive of UAF’s Strategic Plan goal “to strengthen our position as a global leader in Alaska Native and Indigenous Studies” and the Alaska Native Success Initiative.