PSU launching new graduate pathway in Indigenous sciences with Sloan grant

Portland State has been on a path to become nationally known as a university of choice for Indigenous sciences and, thanks to a new grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, will be piloting a culturally affirming pathway for STEM graduate scholars whose work is rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing.

The Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership (SIGP) builds on the successes of a two-year Sloan Centers for Systemic Change seed grant that laid the groundwork for recruiting and retaining more diverse graduate students, refining graduate policies, and training faculty in fostering supportive mentoring relationships.

PSU is recognized as a top 200 school for Indigenous students by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), and is considered a de facto tribal college with approximately 1,104 Native American, Alaska Native and/or Indigenous students representing 6.7% of the student body.

Indigenous-focused efforts include a certificate in Indigenous traditional ecological & cultural knowledge (ITECK), Indigenous-designed spaces such as the Vernier Science Center, Native American Student & Community Center and Oak Savanna, and student groups including AISES and the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).

"As an urban-serving, access-oriented R2 research institution, we serve the largest Native American student population of any public university in the region," said PSU President Ann Cudd. "We do not view Indigenous student success as a peripheral diversity initiative; it is inseparable from our mission. Our vision for the SIGP is one of deep systems change through embedding Indigenous ways of knowing into the core of our graduate research, mentoring, and admissions processes."

The partnership is led by Tong Zhang, assistant dean for inclusive innovation in the Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science, and supported by Suzanne Estes, department chair of Indigenous Nations Studies; Heejun Chang, associate dean for research and graduate programs in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; and Mark Woods, professor of chemistry.

The leadership team says the goal is to shift the "burden of translation" from the student to the institution. Too often, Indigenous students encounter a profound mismatch between the individualistic, non-communal culture of Western sciences and the sovereign, communal goals of their home communities. Without training that bridges the two, the team says society is missing out on missing critical knowledge in solving regional and global challenges in land management, climate adaptation and public health that require community-led, culturally integrated solutions.

The two-year pilot project will ensure that Indigenous ways of knowing and cultural and ecological traditions are recognized as essential drivers of STEM innovation.

"The Indigenous Nations Studies Department is excited and grateful that the Sloan Foundation recognizes the dynamic role that our ITECK classes and programming have had in bolstering STEM student retention, graduation and career connections," said Estes, who is Chickasaw and Choctaw. "Our program creates refreshing, inclusive pathways within the university environment that center a relational worldview and allow students to connect to culture and bring their whole selves into their academic journeys. We look forward to collaborating with PSU leadership to build capacity for centering ITECK in SIGP programming and supporting future generations of STEM thinkers and leaders."

The project's four main goals are:

• Enrolling a cohort of six students - three master's and three PhDs - across STEM programs in MCECS and CLAS;
• Developing targeted recruitment pathways and strengthening ties with regional Tribal partners;
• Creating programming to support a cohort experience anchored in Indigenous ways of knowing; and
• Institutionalizing the efforts through faculty development to have an even greater impact campuswide.

With the support of the 2024 seed grant, graduate programs on campus have already worked to adopt a holistic approach to admissions. The scholar selection process will prioritize students who show an interest in research that incorporates Indigenous ways of knowing and/or serves Indigenous communities.

For recruitment, PSU is looking both internally and externally. Many STEM support programs at PSU like LSAMP and McNair Scholars already serve as a robust graduate recruitment pathway, but the program will also recruit from various undergraduate initiatives and programs that focus on supporting and elevating Indigenous perspectives in STEM.

Externally, PSU is working to formalize a memorandum of understanding with each of Oregon's nine federally recognized Tribes, which, among other goals, will establish more direct ties between PSU's education offerings and Tribal workforce and community needs. Areas of overlap already include improving natural language processing models and revitalizing Indigenous languages, cybersecurity, land management, hydrology, energy, and infrastructure.

Zhang says that the groundwork laid by the initial seed grant means PSU is now in a better position to support graduate students with interdisciplinary support across campus.

"I'm excited about the focus of this grant in elevating Indigenous ways of knowing in science and engineering, which will lead to enhanced community impact, innovation and discovery," she said.