Seeking Neighborly Advice
Anchorage, a veritable ice land, has a lot in common with Iceland. Both regions contend with harsh winters and geographic isolation. However, one significant area where they diverge is in their approach to addressing family justice issues such as domestic violence. In Iceland, family justice centers serve as comprehensive support hubs for survivors, offering medical care, legal assistance, law enforcement and social services all in one place. Meanwhile, Alaska’s approach is fragmented, with victims often having to navigate a complex web of separate services, if such services exist at all.
Researching this discrepancy is Mariah Seater, G.CRT. Children’s Mental Health ’19, M.P.H. Public Health Practice ’21. As part of the Fulbright Arctic Initiative’s third cohort, Seater is exploring how Iceland has successfully implemented the family justice center model — which itself was adopted from similar programs in San Diego, California — and whether such an approach could work in Alaska. A doctoral candidate at Tulane University, Seater seeks to evaluate whether adopting a centralized model in Alaska would improve outcomes for domestic violence survivors.
“Speaking anecdotally, I think the United States has a really good way of siloing problems,” said Seater. “I see my job and public health training as a way to de-silo these institutions and say, ‘We’re all in this together, and we all do better when we’re all doing well.’”
More than conducting research, the Fulbright Arctic Initiative also prioritizes strengthening connections between Arctic nations by fostering the exchange of knowledge. By studying Iceland’s family justice model, Seater hopes to bring valuable insights back to Alaska and contribute to policy discussions that could lead to improved support systems for domestic violence survivors in all Arctic communities, ensuring that lessons learned in one part of the Arctic can inform positive change in another.
Seater’s research will involve a mix of quantitative (i.e., statistical) and qualitative (i.e., descriptive) data collection. She plans to assess community satisfaction, examine how effectively services are implemented and identify whether Iceland’s model could be replicated in or adapted for Alaska. While this portion of her work will not necessarily follow a rigid research protocol, it will involve extensive listening sessions, interviews and collaborations with local stakeholders. She emphasizes the importance of amplifying community voices in her work, ensuring that those who use these services are at the center of policy discussions.
Initially working in education with a focus on students with behavioral needs, Seater transitioned into public health after delving deeper into understanding the systemic factors affecting students’ well-being. While pursuing a graduate certificate in children’s mental health at UAA, she discovered the school’s Master of Public Health program and decided to enroll. Her focus on the Arctic took shape when she attended an Arctic health course at UAA, which led to an opportunity to attend a conference in Greenland with her adviser. That experience opened her eyes to the broader field of circumpolar health and solidified her commitment to researching public health issues in Northern communities.
“If my professor didn’t have funding to take me on as a student and plant a seed, this opportunity would never have happened for me,” said Seater. “UAA does a really nice job of planting a lot of seeds in students that cultivate over time.”
Applying to the Fulbright Arctic Initiative was a significant step for Seater. Having known about the program while completing her M.P.H., she initially felt that she lacked the experience of past recipients. However, after progressing in her studies and building a strong foundation in public health research, she reached out to Fulbright directly to ask if current doctoral students were considered competitive applicants. Upon learning that all levels of researchers were welcome, she decided to apply, and the rest is history.
Key to the Fulbright Arctic Initiative is its policy-driven approach. Unlike the traditional Fulbright Scholarship that lasts between one and two semesters, Seater’s cohort will be working on their projects over a period of 18 months before showcasing their findings in Washington, D.C. Additionally, while the scholarship focuses solely on independent research, the initiative fosters collaboration across disciplines. Seater is part of the mental health and well-being subgroup, one of three research teams within the cohort, alongside governance and climate change subgroups. Ultimately, they will all examine how different aspects of Arctic life intersect and inform policies that benefit these communities.
Fulbright grantees are not officials or employees of the U.S. government or their home country governments. The views and information presented in this article do not represent the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government or the grantee’s home country government.