BUILDING GRADUATE PROGRAMS FOR INDIGENOUS STUDENTS: RESPECTFUL APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY-BASED SCIENCE

Indigenous students continue to be severely underrepresented in STEM disciplines. In this presentation, we will discuss approaches for building Indigenous graduate programs from what we have learned and are still learning at Purdue University. We will focus on the following key points: 1) Indigenous students are interested in STEM research that impacts their home communities. 2) The need to approach Indigenous communities as partners in the research. 3) It is critical to match incoming Indigenous graduate students with research advisors that are willing to learn about and that respect Indigenous cultures. 4) Geologic field trips that address important geological/environmental issues on tribal lands are productive avenues for Indigenous students to see the connections between geoscience graduate research and their home communities. 4) The importance of evaluating graduate applications on potential versus pedigree. 5) Summer research programs are important bridges for prospective Indigenous students to visit large campuses that are often far from their home communities. 6) The need for an on-campus Indigenous community. Campus cultural centers are essential for this community. 8) Financial support is critical for Indigenous students that must relocate far from the home communities. Graduate programs that are training Indigenous students will provide the leaders that will collect and interpret the data, make scientific decisions, and provide solutions that are culturally relevant and that benefit their tribal communities.