Gov. Sean Parnell appointed Kachemak Bay Campus associate professor Michael Hawfield to the Alaska Historical Commission, the governor’s office announced in a press release last week. Hawfield was appointed to a seat nominated by the Alaska Historical Society. Parnell also appointed Wayne Jensen of Juneau and reappointed Terence Cole of Fairbanks to the commission. The commission advises the governor and Legislature on matters related to Alaska’s history and prehistory, oversees the state historic preservation plan, and performs a variety of other functions related to historical sites throughout the state.

Hawfield is a former director of the Pratt Museum and a historian and writer. He is currently the associate professor of history and political science at KBC. Hawfield is treasurer of the Alaska Historical Society, administrator for the Art Acquisition Initiative for the Rasmuson Foundation and Museums Alaska, and a member of the American Association for State and Local History. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Lynchburg College of Virginia, a master’s degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a doctorate in history from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.