Daniel Sestiaga Jr.

Daniel Sestiaga Jr. is a member of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe of Arizona. He is the son of Daniel Sr. and the late Rosie Sestiaga. His paternal grandparents are Carlotta and the late Julio Sestiaga, and his maternal grandparents are Rosie Montoya, the late Tomas Montoya, and the late Virgil Jack.

Daniel currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Indigenous Resilience Center (IRes) at the University of Arizona, where he directs the operations of the Center and provides on-site leadership for faculty, professional staff, and student teams. In this role, he manages multi-million-dollar grants and operational budgets, supports interdisciplinary research and programming, and coordinates major initiatives that advance Indigenous resilience across Arizona and beyond. He works closely with UArizona senior leadership, Tribal governments, and external partners to strengthen teaching, research, and outreach on Indigenous resilience, environmental health, and climate justice. His leadership has contributed to impactful initiatives such as climate and justice symposiums, environmental health forums, student engagement programs, and culturally grounded research collaborations.

Daniel’s work is rooted in principles of respectful Tribal engagement, cultural integrity, and long-term relationship building. With a background in Public Health, he brings expertise in examining health disparities and environmental challenges facing Tribal communities, and he integrates Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into program planning and community-based initiatives. He is also committed to developing pathways for student and community empowerment through education, outreach, and capacity building.

Beyond his role at IRes, Daniel is an adjunct instructor at Tohono O’odham Community College, where he teaches courses in Community and Public Health. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Public Management and Policy and his Master of Public Health from the University of Arizona.