Amana Mbise

This year, we’ve created a Leadership Anchorage Mentor Award to recognize an LA Mentor - past or present - who has demonstrated a commitment to investing in the growth of one or more LA participants. We are pleased to announce the inaugural recipient, Amana Mbise!

Amana Mbise is an assistant professor of social work at the University of Alaska Anchorage with practice and research experience in health disparities, global health (HIV/AIDs and Malaria), labor exploitation, and refugee integration. His scholarship centers around community-based partnerships to co-create solutions to health alongside those most marginalized in society. He was born and raised in Tanzania; moved to Chicago to pursue graduate education at the University of Illinois; and what started as a three-year postgraduate fellowship, has turned into five years living and working in Alaska.

Amana was nominated by his mentee, Ahmed Hassan (LA 26), for his commitment to showing up. Ahmed describes him as, “a friend and a brother” who is “very reliable and always there when you need him. Even when he is busy with teaching, he is there.”