Our Blogs
Wilma Mankiller Passes On
Our sympathies and best wishes go out to the friends and family of Wilma Mankiller, who passed on from cancer this week. Mankiller was an author, lecturer and former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. She served 12 years in elected office at the Cherokee Nation, the first two as Deputy Principal Chief followed by 10 years as Principal Chief.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Pledges $100,000 to American Indian College Fund
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has announced it is granting $100,000, or $50,000 in 2010 and another $50,000 in 2011, to the American Indian College Fund. The purpose of the grant is to provide two fellowships to tribal college faculty pursuing their doctoral degrees in the natural science, mathematics, and engineering fields. As part of the program, the foundation will also fund a retreat, direct recruiting, and fellow outreach to ensure the participants’ success.
Congratulations to Our Tribal College Students of the Year and Dr. Robert Martin
Thirty-three tribal college students were honored at the AIHEC Student Conference in Chandler, Arizona for their achievements as being named Students of the Year.
Coca-Cola First Generation Scholars Honored
Making the transition to college is hard for anyone, but when a student is a first-generation college student, the transition is even more difficult, because they do not have the family resources to help guide them through the process.
President Obama Donates $125,000 of Nobel Prize Money to American Indian College Fund
President Obama announced today that he will donate $125,000 of his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize monies to the American Indian College Fund (the Fund). In a statement issued by the White House, Obama said of the Fund and nine other charity organizations that received donations from the president, “These organizations do extraordinary work in the United States and abroad helping students, veterans and countless others in need. I’m proud to support their work.”
The Joseph and Sophia Abeles Foundation, Inc. Donates $15,000 to American Indian College Fund
The Joseph and Sophia Abeles Foundation, Inc. has announced it is donating $15,000 to the American Indian College Fund for scholarships for American Indian students.
The Tierney Family Foundation Grants the American Indian College Fund $15,000 for Scholarships
The Tierney Family Foundation has granted the American Indian College Fund with a $15,000 grant for scholarships for American Indian students. The grant will support qualified American Indian students who show academic achievement and involvement in their communities by providing financial resources to encourage them to complete a college degree.
Native STEM Students Thinking Indian
This week I have been made proud by a tribal college student and graduate in the STEM fields that are Thinking Indian. Marie, a second-year student at Leech Lake Tribal College in Minnesota in liberal studies with a STEM emphasis, was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as one of its 105 best and brightest interns and fellows for the NASA Student Ambassador Program.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Renews $450,000 Grant to American Indian College Fund
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has announced a grant for $450,000 to continue the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowship Program at the American Indian College Fund (the Fund). The program was funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and launched by the Fund in 2004 to increase the number of faculty at the nation’s 33 tribal colleges and universities possessing a terminal degree.
President’s Day
I thought I would take the opportunity this President’s Day to reflect on what it means to be a good leader. Although this holiday was established to celebrate United States presidents, I would like to honor American Indian tribal presidents and chairpeople and tribal college presidents who serve in important leadership roles throughout Indian Country.
