Announcing the 2024 SIGP Symposium Agenda

Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership Symposium:
Weaving STEM, Community and Culture

We are pleased to announce the speaker list and agenda for the inaugural Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership Symposium: Weaving Together STEM, Culture, and Community. The symposium will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2024 in Tucson, AZ and is co-hosted by the SSMN, NACME, SIGP, and The University of Arizona Graduate College. The symposium will bring together the growing community of SIGP scholars, alumni, faculty, and partners for community building, learning, and networking. The SIGP program and symposium are supported through generous funding provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Agenda & Presenters

Friday, March 1, 2024

SIGP Symposium Opening Reception - 6pm - 8pm
University of Arizona Environmental & Natural Resources 2 Building Rooftop (located at 1064 E Lowell St, Tucson, AZ 85719)Parking: Available at the 6th Street Garage (1119 E 6th St)
Shuttle: Available to and from the reception for guests traveling from the DoubleTree by Hilton Tucson Reid Park

Saturday, March 2, 2024

SIGP Symposium - 8am–7pm
Salons ABCD (Ground Floor) | The DoubleTree by Hilton Tucson Reid Park
445 S Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85711. Free parking on-site. No shuttle available.

8:00 - 8:20 am  Blessing Ceremony
Salon D Ballroom & Patio

Miguel Flores Jr. (Pascua Yaqui and Tohono O’odham), Founder and Owner, Holistic Wellness Counseling & Consultant Services

8:20 - 9:15 am  Breakfast and Welcome
Salon D Ballroom

Dr. Lorelle Espinosa, Program Director, Higher Education, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Dr. Frans Tax, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Distinguished Outreach Faculty and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona
Dr. Kevin Gibson, Program Director, Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership; Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University

9:15 - 10:00 am  Keynote - "My Journey to Weave STEM, Culture, and Community in Academia" with Dr. Karletta Chief
Salon D Ballroom

Dr. Karletta Chief (Diné), Distinguished Outreach Faculty; Director of the Indigenous Resilience Center and Professor & Extension Specialist, Dept of Environmental Science, University of Arizona

10:00 - 11:00 am  Visioning Exercise
Salon D Ballroom

Aaron Slater (Navajo), Lead, US and Indigenous Communities, MIT Solve

11:00 - 11:30 am  Coffee and Networking Break

11:30 - 12:30 pm  Session #1: Leading Research and Projects with Indigenous Communities and Tribal Nations
Salon D Ballroom

Dr. Melinda Adams (N'dee San Carlos Apache Tribe), Assistant Professor, Geography and Atmospheric Science and Indigenous Studies, University of Kansas

PhD in Native American Studies, University of California Davis, and M.S. in Ecology and Environmental Science, Purdue University

Chantel Harrison (Diné), Founder, Indige Planted; Co-Founder, Indigeponics
M.S. in Biosystems Engineering, University of Arizona, 2023

Dr. Carrie Joseph (Hopi), Director, Department of Natural Resources, The Hopi Tribe
PhD in Soil, Water, and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, 2018

Dr. Monica Tsethlikai (Zuni), Associate Professor, The Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University
PhD in Psychology (Cognitive and Quantitative), University of Kansas, 2005

12:30 - 1:30 pm  Lunch and Keynote - "Recipe for Resilience" with Mariah Gladstone
Salon D Ballroom

Mariah Gladstone (Blackfeet, Cherokee), Founder and Owner, Indigikitchen
M.P.S. in Environmental Studies, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 2021

1:45 - 2:30 pm  Session #2 (concurrent)

#2A - "Weaving Indigenous and Western Sciences"
Salon B

Dr. Seafha Ramos (Yurok, Karuk, Chicana), Assistant Professor, School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, PhD in Natural Resources, University of Arizona, 2016

#2B - Working with Tribal Colleges and Universities
Salon C

Dr. Ruth Plenty Sweetgrass-She Kills (Hidatsa, Mandan, Nakota, and Dakota), Director of Food Sovereignty, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
PhD in Forestry and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, 2016

2:45 - 3:30 pm  Session #3 (concurrent)

#3A - Strategies for Funding Your Research and Developing Funder Relationships 
Salon B

Moderator: Dr. Tyler Hallmark (Cherokee) Program Associate, Higher Education, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
PhD in Educational Studies (Higher Education and Student Affairs), Ohio State University, 2021

Dr. Otakuye Conroy-Ben (Oglala Lakota), Associate Professor, School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University
PhD in Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, 2006

Dr. Eileen Spain, Program Director, Research Corporation for Science Advancement 
PhD, University of Utah

Richelle Thomas (Diné), Doctoral Candidate, Soil, Water and Environmental Science, University of Arizona 

#3B - The Write Path: Cultivating Strong and Effective Writing Skills
Salon C

Dr. Aaron Thomas (Navajo), Professor of Chemistry, Director of Indigenous Research and STEM Education, University of Montana
PhD in Chemical Engineering, University of Florida

3:30 - 4:00 pm  Break
Light snacks and beverages provided in the foyer.

4:00 - 5:00 pm  SIGP Alumni STEM Career Panel 
Salon D Ballroom

Moderator: Dr. Veronica Zepeda, Program Director, Sloan Scholars Mentoring Network, Social Science Research Council, PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, 2011 

Dr. Ronson Chee (Navajo), Founder and Principal Engineer, Riley Engineering, PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Arizona, 2017

Dr. Candice Guy-Gaytan (Lenape), Research Scientist, BSCS Science Learning
PhD in Science Education, University of California Davis, 2017, and M.S. in Population Ecology and Evolution, Purdue University, 2007

Dr. "Studie" Raymond Redcorn (Osage), Policy Analyst, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs
PhD in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, 2018

5:00 - 7:00 pm  Closing Reception with Blanket and Graduate Stole Presentations
Salon D Ballroom - Substantial appetizers and drinks provided.