Enriching Undergraduate Research Experiences & Knowledge Applied in Environmental Health Sciences (EUREKA-EHS)

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Among the various minority groups, American Indian and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) people continue to be significantly under-represented in many STEM and biomedical-based fields, including Environmental Health Sciences (EHS). The Department of Life Sciences at Salish Kootenai College (SKC), a well-established and vibrant tribal college on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, was previously awarded a research education program grant to associate indigenous and rural students to the field of EHS through the creation of the only 4-year EHS program at a tribal college in the US. The current competitive renewal “Enriching Undergraduate Research Experiences & Knowledge Applied in Environmental Health Sciences (EUREKA- EHS)” proposes to leverage these previous successes to further support the development of undergraduates for employment and entry into advanced degrees in EHS. The goal of the proposal is to continue using established High-Impact Practices in education and research that have proven to engage and retain tribal students while minimizing the gap between indigenous- and western-ways of thinking in science. Likewise, the proposal seeks to draw on the unique tribal educational ecosystem and a nurturing model to mentor 15-20 internal and external research participants over five years. To accomplish these goals, EUREKA-EHS aims to specifically: 1) EXPAND research that emphasizes more EHS- and place-based student experiences, utilizes Traditional Ecological Knowledge & Wisdom (TEKW) in tribally-relevant projects through an interdepartmental collaboration, and invited EHS and/or indigenous speakers to compliment these research efforts; 2) ENHANCE education with a co-taught Ethnopharmacology course from a dual knowledge perspective, explore indigenous identity and foster interactions with role models using a regional health professional network or SKC-affiliated EHS Navigators, and promote indigenous leadership and wellness capacity. Based on the previous outcomes, successful completion of the renewal will allow for enriched educational activities and quality research opportunities that are critical for creating a pool of talented scientists with a dual knowledge perspective in EHS.