Pearl Kiyawn Nageak Brower ( Inupiat, Middle names pronounced ''Qaiyaan Naġiaq'' in Iñupiaq) is an American academic administrator. She was president of Iḷisaġvik College from 2012-2020.

Early life and education

Brower was raised in

Utqiagvik, Alaska Utqiagvik ( ik, Utqiaġvik; , , formerly known as Barrow ()) is the borough seat and largest city of the North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Located north of the Arctic Circle, it is one of the northernmost cities and towns in th ...

and

Northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...

by a family of

Iñupiat The Iñupiat (or Inupiat, Iñupiaq or Inupiaq;) are a group of Alaska Natives, whose traditional territory roughly spans northeast from Norton Sound on the Bering Sea to the northernmost part of the Canada–United States border. Their current ...

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

, and Chippewa descent. Her Iñupiat grandmother served as an elected member of the

North Slope Borough The North Slope Borough is the northernmost borough in the US state of Alaska and thus, the northernmost county or equivalent of the United States as a whole. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,031. The borough seat and largest city i ...

School Board and was an education advocate. Her maternal grandfather was a culture bearer who lived in the

Alaska North Slope The Alaska North Slope ( Iñupiaq: ''Siḷaliñiq'') is the region of the U.S. state of Alaska located on the northern slope of the Brooks Range along the coast of two marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean, the Chukchi Sea being on the western si ...

. Brower graduated from

Shasta College Shasta College is a public community college in Redding, California, with branch campuses in Burney, Weaverville, and Red Bluff. It was founded in 1950 and later moved to a much larger campus while the original campus became the new locatio ...

. She completed two B.A. degrees in Alaska Native Studies and Anthropology in 2004. She completed a master's degree in Alaska Native and Rural Development in 2010 at

University of Alaska Fairbanks The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF or Alaska) is a public land-grant research university in College, Alaska, a suburb of Fairbanks. It is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska system. UAF was established in 1917 and opened for ...

(UAF). She completed a Ph.D. in 2016 in indigenous studies, with an emphasis in indigenous leadership from UAF.

Career

Brower managed a culture and education grant for

and was a museum curator at the

Iñupiat Heritage Center The Iñupiat Heritage Center is a museum in Utqiaġvik in the U.S. state of Alaska. Dedicated in February 1999, it is an affiliated area of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and recognizes the contributi ...

. She joined Iḷisaġvik College in 2007, where she worked in institutional advancement, student services, and marketing. She served as the director of external relations and development at Iḷisaġvik; she was selected as president of the college in 2012, after having served three months as the interim. In 2015, Brower was named by ''

Alaska Journal of Commerce ''Alaska Journal of Commerce'' is a print and online publication based in Anchorage, Alaska. Covering business and industry in the state of Alaska, the publication was started in 1976 and was acquired by Morris Communications in 1995. Current own ...

'' as one of Alaska's top 40 under 40.

Personal life

Brower is married to Donald Jesse Darling Jr. They have two daughters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brower, Pearl Kiyawn Nageak Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century Native Americans 21st-century Native Americans Academics from California American people of Armenian descent American people of Ojibwe descent American women academics Inupiat people Native American academics Native American women scientists Native American women academics People from Utqiagvik, Alaska Place of birth missing (living people) Presidents of Iḷisaġvik College University of Alaska Fairbanks alumni Women heads of universities and colleges 20th-century Native American women 21st-century Native American women

Early life and education

Career

Personal life

See also

References