847: EdUp Tribal Colleges & Universities (TCUs) Mini Series - with Dr. Duane Bedell⁠, President, ⁠Bay Mills Community College⁠, & ⁠Justina Wilhelm⁠, President, ⁠Ilisagvik College⁠

Justina Wilhelm is a lifelong resident of Utqiaġvik, who currently serves as the President of Ilisagvik College, Alaska’s only Tribal College. Wilhelm is a first-generation college student. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaii, Hilo, and her MSW from the University of New England.

Wilhelm has worked the entirety of her career on the North Slope of Alaska, including 14 years with the North Slope Borough Health Department working in various capacities, including with direct service delivery and compliance, followed by seven years as the Deputy Director of Behavioral Health. In 2017, Wilhelm joined Iḷisaġvik College working with institutional advancement, advancing to VP of administration, and was appointed as President in 2020. Wilhelm is known for her inclusive servant leadership with a strategic focus. Wilhelm is committed to leading with integrity and promotes building collaborative relationships that support tribal higher education.

Wilhelm continues to be actively engaged in the region. She is an imiun, or a whaling captain’s wife, and she and her husband have been the Captain and Wife of Makalik Crew since 2007. Wilhelm serves on the Utqiaġvik City Council, North Slope Borough School District School Advisory Council, and Arctic Women in Crisis Board. Wilhelm is married to Ross Wilhelm and, together, they have four children.