College of Engineering Celebrates Native American Heritage Month With Events

The College of Engineering plans two events on Tuesday, Nov. 15, in recognition of Native American Heritage Month.

The College of Engineering Office of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion's November JEDI Hour will feature Tiffany Smith, director of research and career support for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. In her talk, she will discuss Indigenous student experiences in undergraduate engineering programs at four-year institutions.

Her scholarship focuses on utilizing indigenous methodologies and her own Tsalagi (Cherokee) epistemology in seeking to decolonize academic spaces, particularly in STEM fields. Her dissertation, titled "Indigenizing the Academy: A Storytelling Journey to Native Student Success in Engineering," was awarded the 2021 NASPA Melvene D. Hardee Dissertation of the Year award.

Smith completed a Bachelor of Arts in public relations/sociology and a Master of Education and Ph.D. in adult and higher education/student affairs, all from the University of Oklahoma. While working at the OU Gallogly College of Engineering for 11 years, she served as the founding Women in Engineering program director as well as the Society of Women in Engineering and American Indian Science and Engineering Society chapter adviser.

The session will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15.

Join Zoom meeting:

• Meeting ID: 844 1842 0789
• Passcode: 9Ca4Nv^Z

In addition, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society will host a Native American History Panel Discussion titled "The Importance of Native American Representation in STEM" at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, in Bell Engineering Center 2282.

Featured panelists include Brian Haggard, director of the Arkansas Water Resource Center and professor of agricultural and biological engineering; Dustan F. Clark, professor of extension veterinarian science and associate director of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science; and Summer Rae Wilkie, youth coordinator for the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative.

The American Indian Science and Engineering Society is a national nonprofit organization focused on substantially increasing the representation of Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in science, technology, engineering and math studies and careers.