FEWSS in the News

Diné College is testing a new solar powered greenhouse that grows food hydroponically. Higher yields and year-round harvests are the goal.

"The university moves with intention in regards to Native American students’ needs, making it a leading institution for this group." IndigeFEWSS faculty and programming is featured in this Daily Wildcat article on UArizona's direct efforts to recruit, retain and involve Native American students.

Dr. Karletta Chief, Director of the newly established Indigenous Resilience Center speaks with President Robert Robbins about the Center's mission to support Native faculty, students, and research, and to strengthen relationships with Native Nations.

Native American nations are feeling the serious impacts of climate change and the pandemic. The University of Arizona is helping tribes overcome challenges such as water insecurity.

“They walk three miles to a well that’s primarily used for livestock. Then use a gas-powered pump to pump up the ground water, fill up their containers and go back,” said Dr. Karletta Chief, Associate Professor of Environmental Science. Dr. Chief is leading efforts through the UA’s Indigenous Resilience Center to improve issues that COVID has amplified.

The Indigenous Resilience Center will work directly with Native nations to address environmental challenges in ways that respect Native and Indigenous sovereignty and knowledge. Dr. Karletta Chief was instrumental in advancing this initiative.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $10 million grant to a higher education program aimed at broadening Indigenous career pathways in food, energy and water systems.

The awarded network, called the Native FEWS Alliance, focuses on expanding the career field in food, energy and water systems (FEWS) within Native American communities. It also provides educational resources for Indigenous students to build these systems within their own communities.

Dr. Karletta Chief and IndigeFEWSS faculty have partnered with University of New Mexico on an NSF Transformation Network award.

The award is part of $30 million in funding that the NSF announced this week to create two new research networks to understand and design innovative and equitable solutions that build community resilience.

The chemical and environmental engineering professor was a top candidate in a national competition focused on researchers gathering "diverse knowledge for a sustainable future."

MSE graduate student Michael Anderson has been selected for a 2021-22 ARCS Scholarship, which is granted to students in science, engineering and medical research. Anderson is also affiliated with the University of Arizona Institute for Energy Solutions and researches the stability and reliability of printable semiconductor materials.

A $500,000 grant from the USDA will help UArizona and Diné College prepare Navajo Nation college students for careers in STEM.