51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø

Madara Mason is the director of the Honors College. Madara is an Honors graduate herself, and is an experienced educator and innovator, with over 20 years of experience at 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø managing teams and teaching undergraduate and graduate courses for multiple departments. Known for her service-driven leadership, she has played a pivotal role in advancing innovation, most recently spearheading the Making is Learning Lab. Her dedication to community-based problem-solving, rooted in hands-on, transdisciplinary methods, ensures that our classrooms and labs are spaces where creative and critical thinking thrives.

Madara's academic and professional background ranges from literature to the visual arts to instructional design. Her transdisciplinary approach to understanding the world is something she tries to weave into the fabric of the Honors College each day. 

Eleanor Guthrie is thrilled to join the Honors College as its first associate director. Her role will support the development of dual-enrollment opportunities, curricular growth, and accelerated programming options within the 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø Honors College. She has a passion for learning individual student stories and aiding young adults in educational, social, and emotional growth and achievement. Eleanor looks forward to using this opportunity to assist 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø Honors students in intentionally working towards their educational and life objectives, while becoming agents of change.

Eleanor recently returned to Fairbanks after several years pursuing higher education in Washington State. She calls Fairbanks home, holding many fond memories growing up in Interior Alaska. As a third-generation 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø employee, Eleanor is excited to begin her career at the institution that helped shape the person she is today.

She is a University of Washington double-alumni, earning her BS in Political Economics in 2018 and an MA in Public Administration with a focus in policy analysis and program evaluation in 2022. Prior to and between degrees, Eleanor worked as a legislative aide for the Alaska State Senate. There she had the honor of working for Interior Alaskans, developing legislation targeted at statewide education initiatives. Throughout her graduate education, Eleanor worked in administration for Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, Washington. She served as an Executive Assistant to both WCC’s President’s Office and the Vice President of Student Services.

Outside of work, Eleanor is an active volunteer in the Fairbanks nonprofit world. She is passionate about community economic development, conservation, and education initiatives in Interior Alaska and is excited to be back in the community she calls home.

Sophia May was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, and recently moved to Alaska for her next big adventure. She received her BA from the University of Utah in Human Development and Family Studies, and her MA from Utah State University in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences.

Sophia previously served as a Program Coordinator for Student Involvement & Leadership at Utah State University where she had the privilege to work closely with student government officers. There she discovered her passion for helping students achieve their personal, professional and academic goals. She is thrilled to join the Honors College staff as their Student Success Coordinator where she has no doubt she will continue to make amazing connections with the incredible students at 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø.

In her spare time Sophia enjoys hiking, camping, karaoke, and spending quality time with her partner and their three cats.

Kaitlynne Rice is excited to join 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø as the new Climate Scholars Program Coordinator. Growing up as a Fairbanks local, Kaitlynne graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a BA in Rural Development and a minor in Paralegal Studies in 2024. Her previous roles highlight her enthusiasm for community development and youth engagement.

Kaitlynne has worked as a Program Development Consultant in Kiana, AK, and as a program coordinator for the Bethel, AK 4-H program, where she had the opportunity to create youth development camps and after-school programs. Additionally, she has served as a legislative aide for the Community and Regional Affairs Committee in the Alaska State Senate. These diverse experiences have fueled her passion for developing impactful opportunities for communities and students of all ages, a passion she is eager to bring to her new role as the Climate Scholars Program Coordinator at her alma mater, 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø. 

Outside of her professional endeavors, Kaitlynne is an active member of the Fairbanks community. She coaches wrestling at Hutchison High School and serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of Alaska 4-H organization, supporting the Alaska State 4-H program. Kaitlynne also loves to travel and explore new parts of Alaska, enriching her connection to the state's diverse landscapes and communities.

As a 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø alum with a Bachelor's in Communication and Business and former Nanook men’s basketball team member, Larenzo returns to 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø with a strong background in program coordination, advising, and student success.

In his previous role as Site Coordinator with the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, he led various initiatives to support enrollment, assisted students in overcoming enrollment challenges, and provided individualized support strategies to help students achieve their academic and developmental goals.

In his free time, Larenzo enjoys reading new books, learning new skills, serving the community at his local church, and spending time with family. He also enjoys coaching youth basketball, supporting Nanook Athletics, and hitting the slopes from time to time.

Soka (So-kuh) Vanegas was born and raised in Massachusetts and has spent much of her life in Colombia. She is a transfer student from Colorado College. There, she conducted research on the Alaskan Arctic and decided she should take it to the next level and move to Alaska. At 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø she studies Biological Sciences with a concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Soka is especially passionate about climate change in the Arctic and its role in Pollination Biology. In her free time Soka enjoys rock climbing, backpacking, skiing, and spending time with her dog, Lucia.

Dr. Katie Villano Spellman was born and raised in Alaska. She has dedicated her career to the interface of social justice and science and has found the overlap for her passion in both areas through climate change education and research. Katie received her bachelor's in Biology from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA. She worked in homeless services and co-founded a street newspaper with members of the homeless community in Tacoma, Washington before returning home to Fairbanks to pursue a Masters and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø. In between the two graduate degrees, she worked as the ecological education program director at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, in Homer, Alaska. Her research is split evenly between plant ecology and education research, with public engagement in and access to the scientific process as a unifying theme in both areas. Her ecological research focuses on how a warming climate influences boreal and tundra plant communities through non-native species introductions, changes in phenology, and wildfire. Her education research investigates the effectiveness of different climate change learning strategies and science engagement models.  She collaborates regularly with students, teachers, and community members across Alaska (currently in more than 35 communities) and in 122 countries around the globe to address climate change issues and increase access to science at local and global scales.

John is an artist, art educator, and interdisciplinary researcher focused on the integration of art and science as well as the broader role aesthetics play in people’s relationships to the environment. John’s own artwork explores themes of human-nature relationships and transformation across time, and he draws inspiration from multiple disciplines including philosophy, natural sciences and anthropology. He has also helped to develop academic interdisciplinary programs at 51·çÁ÷¹ÙÍø with emphasis on climate change, health sciences, and global thinking.