▸ Honors, Accolades, and Milestones
The 2023–2024 MIT First Nations Launch team chose the name Doya (ᏙᏯ), meaning “beaver” in the Cherokee language.
The 2023–2024 MIT First Nations Launch team, co-sponsored by the MIT College Chapter, was the subject of a profile in MIT News. The 2023 competition marked the first time the team participated, but they brought home the second-place grand prize and were named rookie team of the year. They are now gearing up for the 2024 First Nations Launch.
The University of Oklahoma College Chapter co-hosted an E-Week keynote address by School of Engineering alumnus Mike Walden, now the vice president of innovation and automation at Walmart.
A field trip to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba, by the newly reinvigorated AISES chapter at Turtle Mountain Community College was covered by KFYR TV in Bismarck, N.D.
The University of Wisconsin College Chapter participated in the campus-wide observance of Native November, which included multiple workshops and related events. The theme of the programming was “Laughter Is Medicine,” the healing power of humor.
To raise the visibility of Indigenous excellence in STEM at Yale, the Yale Daily News published profiles of several members of the Yale AISES College Chapter (yAISES). The chapter now has more than 40 members and was recognized at the 2023 AISES National Conference with a national chapter award. The chapter collaborated with other organizations of Native students to mark Indigenous Peoples’ Day on campus with multiple events, including a panel discussion hosted with Native Americans in Science and the Society for the Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos in Science.
The University of Arizona College Chapter was cited in an article in Inside Tucson Business as contributing to an increasingly diverse professional community in the growing biotech hub of southern Arizona as one of the groups putting out “a welcome mat to bright minds” from all backgrounds.
The College Chapter at Michigan Technological University hosted the Baashkaakodin-Giizis Freezing Moon Traditional Powwow. The daylong event featured craft and food vendors and a traditional feast.
The College Chapter at Colorado State University held its 39th annual powwow in observance of National Native American Heritage Month. This long-standing celebration showcases Native culture to the wider campus while giving Native students a chance to gather and honor their traditions.
The North Carolina State University College Chapter participated in the campus observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which included honor songs, dances, food, speakers, and a panel discussion.
The South Dakota State University College Chapter sold special glasses for viewing the annular eclipse that occurred last October. The campus in Brookings was in the 100-mile-wide zone for full visibility.
The Q-AISES rocket design team at Queen’s University in Ontario placed first overall in the 2023–2024 First Nations Launch competition and were named international champions. The team won a VIP trip to the Kennedy Space Center.
Photo by Kelly Anderson for the 2022-2023 MIT First Nations Launch team
The AISES Circle of Support Program acknowledges the generous investment of partners whose support is integral to the AISES mission. Circle Partners are organizations that established a multiprogram partnership with AISES in 2023. We wish to thank each of our Circle Partners for their continued efforts to serve AISES student and professional members.