University of Alaska explains name change of cabinet-level position that had ‘diversity’ removed from title

In 2023 the University of Alaska hired Kristel Komakhuk as senior director for Alaska Native success and partnerships. The position was previously named senior advisor for Alaska Native success, institutional diversity and student engagement. 

‍As reported by The Northern Light, the name change included changing “advisor” to “director” and swapping “institutional diversity and student engagement” for “partnerships.”

Director of public affairs for the University of Alaska, Jonathon Taylor, answered questions from The Northern Light regarding why the name changed. 

During a phone interview, Taylor said it’s common for names of new positions to change as they develop over time. 

The position was created and first filled by Pearl Brower in 2021. 

He said the addition of “partnerships” to the position’s title reflected the desire of University of Alaska President Pat Pitney to have the position focus on Alaska Native partners.

Taylor said the original name was long and that “student engagement” was removed because the role does not have direct contact with students.

In an email exchange, Taylor wrote that Brower suggested a name change for the position when she left the university.

“The name change … was driven by Dr. Brower's recommendations, and the expanded scope of the role to specifically include a focus on strengthening relationships between UA [University of Alaska] and Alaska Native partners.”

Taylor wrote that Brower had suggested several titles that did not include the phrase “institutional diversity.”

“When Pearl Brower left the role in 2022 to take the UIC [Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation] President job, one of the recommendations she left for President Pitney was to give the role a more robust title rather than ‘advisor,’ and President Pitney implemented that recommendation, among others, as we worked to fill the role.”

In an email to The Northern Light, the chief human resource officer for the University of Alaska, Memry Dahl, wrote that Brower’s primary focus was on the university’s Alaska Native Success Initiative and Alaska Native partners, in addition to helping university leadership with institutional diversity and student success.

Dahl held the position in the interim after Brower left the university and before Komakhuk took on the role. 

Dahl was also working as the chief human resource officer while in the position, according to an announcement from the University of Alaska.

In addition to currently being the chief human resource officer, Dahl also has the title of senior advisor for the Alaska Native Success Initiative, according to her university biography page.