WELCOME TO THE SPRING 2020 ISSUE OF WINDS OF CHANGE! We hope everyone is staying well and that you will keep AISES in your thoughts as we work to sustain progress on our mission. We welcome your good wishes and support during these uncertain times.
This spring the hard work of your AISES staff was increasingly evident in outcomes that are squarely on mission. A prime example is the 2020 AISES Leadership Summit, which took place in February at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. We are grateful to our hosts for sponsoring a significant portion of the summit, and I’m proud to say that this event was sold out, enabling us to help even more participants build skills that will smooth their academic and professional paths. Other seasonal high points include the always inspiring National American Indian Science and Engineering Fair and the Energy Challenge, both of which are entirely virtual this year due to COVID-19.
You can read more about what’s happening at AISES in AISES Notebook. Also in this issue is our much-anticipated annual report on the Top 50 Workplaces for Indigenous STEM Professionals. Here we take a look at organizations that do more than just talk about DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), but actually demonstrate their commitment in hiring, promoting, and fostering a diverse pipeline of aspiring STEM professionals. One important hallmark of a company that is truly inclusive is the health of its employee resource groups. At the Facebook company, for one, says AI Data and Tools User Experience Research Lead Thérèse Dugan, the Native ERG called Native@ “provides a safe place to share with our relatives and promote actionable causes important to us in and outside work.” Read more about Dugan, Facebook, and other Top 50 workplaces.
Many of the people you will meet here have overcome daunting obstacles as they pursue their goals for an education and a meaningful career.
How our communities are managing their natural resources in this era of climate change is a topic of vital concern. We look at how tribes are employing traditional knowledge and techniques as they address the increasing threat of wildfires. You can read about some people in the field, including Native firefighters — especially the growing number of women “hotshots.”
As always, you will find stories about individual members in AISES People. Many of the people you will meet here have overcome daunting obstacles as they pursue their goals for an education and a meaningful career, and when I read their stories I’m gratified that the support that you and all of us at AISES have extended has made a difference. One is Dominique Pablito, who was homeless for part of her high school career yet still earned straight As, took college courses at night, ran varsity cross country, and graduated in three years at age 15. Now focusing on chemistry and biology at the University of Utah, Pablito says that support from campus communities like AISES “has been crucial to my success.”
I hope you will join me in making sure AISES can continue to be there, contributing to the success of amazing students like Dominique.
Ta’Tura Tsiksu (With Much Respect),
Sarah EchoHawkPawnee Nation of OklahomaAISES Chief Executive Officer