Tribal STEM Subcommittee

6/10/2022

NCSL CONTACT

Students learning about different types of solar panels and arrays during the July 2016 Ute Mountain Ute Youth Energy Day in Colo., hosted by DOE-IE.

NREL project lead Colton Heaps helps students test and compare the power needed to light a regular light bulb versus an energy-efficient bulb during the July 2016 Ute Mountain Ute Youth Energy Day in Colo., hosted by DOE-IE.

NREL intern Rachael Boothe explains biomass through a sugar balloon science experiment at the July 2016 Ute Mountain Ute Youth Energy Day in Colo., hosted by DOE-IE.

Nez Perce Preparing Students for Academic Success (PACE) camp students visit the nursing program at Lewis-Clark State College.

2019 class of Nez Perce students during their summer Preparing Students for Academic Success (PACE) camp.

Representatives from DOE, Idaho National Laboratory, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, 100Kin10, and others gather for a photo after meeting to discuss challenges and opportunities in advancing STEM.

Pueblo of Pojoaque staff examining cultural artifacts.

Subcommittee Overview

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Tribal STEM Subcommittee, comprised of members of DOE working groups, convenes as part of a cooperative agreement between DOE and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

Tribes invested in “all of the above” energy policy―including those impacted by DOE activities like nuclear energy, environmental clean-up, and the transportation/disposition of radioactive waste―head up the work. In partnership with DOE, Indian Country and NCSL, the subcommittee stems from a commitment by members to focus and build on DOE working group conversations related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Current projects are centered around STEM career opportunities for tribal members, including youth, and gaps in opportunities identified in a STEM white paper published by the Nuclear Energy Tribal Working Group (NETWG). The paper spotlights challenges and opportunities for expanding STEM opportunities in Indian Country.

Participating DOE working groups with NETWG include the Indian Country Energy and Infrastructure Working Group (ICEIWG) and the State and Tribal Government Working Group (STGWG).

Mission Statement

Coordinate with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop, expand and enhance STEM opportunities in Indian Country. Broaden the participation of underrepresented Alaskan Native and Native American populations in STEM fields to align with current and future workforce needs. Strive to integrate tribal traditional and ecological knowledge (TEK) into DOE practices.

Active Members

The following tribes and their representatives serve on the subcommittee.

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Pendleton, Ore.

Rob Burnside, public safety director

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, Mashpee, Mass.

Nelson Andrews Jr., director of emergency management

Nez Perce Tribe, Lapwai, Idaho

Solo Greene, education outreach specialist
Lucy Samuels, Hanford cultural resources tech II
Michael Sobotta, Hanford cultural resources coordinator

Prairie Island Indian Community, Welch, Minn.

Ron Johnson, tribal representative

Pueblo of Jemez, Jemez Pueblo, N.M.

Daryl Lucero, natural resource technician
Clarice Madalena, natural resources program manager

Pueblo of Pojoaque, Pojaque, N.M.

Adam Duran, director of environment

Pueblo de San Ildefonso, Santa Fe, N.M.

Raymond Martinez, director, Department of Environmental and Cultural Preservation

Seneca Nation of Indians, Salamanca, N.Y.

Angie Kennedy, councilor

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Fort Hall, Idaho

Talia Martin, director of Tribal/DOE-AIP

Yakama Nation, Toppenish, Wash.

Laurene Contreras, manager, Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program
Rosalie Ferri, tracking/resource analyst, Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Project
Samantha Redheart, STEM coordinator

Current Priorities

The subcommittee's current priorities are to:

Improve Data Collection: Analyze data on DOE headquarters and STEM internships based in Indian Country, including annual funding and success metrics to help identify gaps and future opportunity drivers for tribes.
Identify Funding Mechanisms: Develop an intra-agency method to track and leverage funds to support tribal STEM opportunities. This will optimize DOE’s collaboration with tribes, improve funding effectiveness, and boost the long-term impacts of STEM efforts between DOE and tribal governments, including shared interagency partners.
Foster Cross-Agency Collaboration: Facilitate interagency connections to ensure STEM funding and related opportunities are maximized for both tribal governments and the federal government.

Pillars for Tribal Empowerment as identified by the Tribal STEM Subcommittee:

Tribal sovereignty and self-determination center on the management of lands, including important natural and cultural resources.

Environmental stewardship is central to Native American/Alaska Native cultures and speaks to the unique relationship between the people and the earth.

Tribal ecological knowledge (TEK) must be incorporated into collective efforts and best practices to ensure the right mix of energy development and environmental restoration efforts for tribes and DOE.

Equal access to STEM K-12 coursework will bridge the gap between Native American/Alaska Native students versus non-Native students.

Careers in energy and DOE site cleanup furthers tribal self-sufficiency. The unique perspectives of Native Americans/Alaska Natives should be included as part of shared DOE and tribal decision-making processes.

Meeting demands for future workforce needs is critical to the United States, and Native Americans should be part of the solution.

STEM Resources for Students, Educators and Professionals

These lists should serve as resources to aid students, educators and professionals in search of career opportunities, internships, scholarships, grants and educational resources.

U.S. Department of Energy STEM Points of Contact (POC)

DOE STEM points of contact (POCs) are listed by state, including contacts within the national laboratory network. Based on your location or interests, begin―or broaden―education and workforce development discussions with DOE POCs.

This list is updated quarterly and was last updated in October of 2020.

State	Name (hyperlinks to email address)	Organization / Office	Title or Expertise
California	Faith Dukes	Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory	Manager, K-12 Programs
California	Colette Flood	Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory	STEM POC (undergraduate and graduate programs)
California	Joanna Albala	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)	Manager, STEM Education
California	Randy Pico	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)	Tribal STEM POC
Colorado	Meghan Pearson	National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)	STEM POC
Colorado	Tom Mason	National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)	STEM POC
DOE Headquarters (Washington, D.C. and Germantown, Md.)	Melinda Higgins (Main POC)	Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)	Director of STEM Programs
DOE Headquarters	Giancarlo Casalino	Office of Environmental Management (EM)	Tribal Liaison
DOE Headquarters	Jay Jones	Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)	Physical Scientist and Tribal Liaison
DOE Headquarters	Junita Turner	Office of Environmental Management (EM)	STEM POC
DOE Headquarters	Genia McKinley	Office of Environmental Management (EM)	STEM / MSI Programs General Engineer
DOE Headquarters	Dameone Ferguson	Office of Environmental Management (EM)	STEM / Workforce POC
DOE Headquarters	Kristen Ellis	Office of Environmental Management (EM)	Senior Advisor for STEM
DOE Headquarters	Denise Freeman	Office of Legacy Management (LM)	Tribal POC
DOE Headquarters	David VonBehren	Office of Legacy Management (LM)	ECHO Supervisor
DOE Headquarters	Shawn Montgomery	Office of Legacy Management (LM)	Tribal STEM Lead
Idaho	Jennifer M. Jackson (Main POC)	Idaho National Laboratory (INL)	K-12 Education Enrichment Program Manager
Idaho	M ichelle Thiel Bingham	Idaho National Laboratory (INL)	Director of University Partnerships
Idaho	Ali Josephson	Idaho National Laboratory (INL)	Manager of Student Programs
Idaho	Brenda Greenhalgh	Idaho National Laboratory (INL)	K-12 STEM Program Implementation
Idaho	Angela Good	Idaho National Laboratory (INL)	K-12 STEM Program Support
Idaho	Amy Lientz	Idaho National Laboratory (INL)	Director Supply Chain Energy Industry
Illinois	Meredith Bruozas	Argonne National Laboratory	Manager, Educational Programs & Outreach
Illinois	Brandon Pope	Argonne National Laboratory	Education Outreach Coordinator
Illinois	Maureen Hix	Argonne National Laboratory	Life Sciences Program Manager
Illinois	Rebecca Thompson	Fermi National Laboratory	STEM POC
Nevada	Jennifer Morgan (Main POC)	Nevada National Security Site	Public Affairs / STEM Liaison
New Mexico	Michael Dabrieo	Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) Foundation	Education Enrichment Director
New Mexico	Nancy N. Sauer	LANL Advanced STEM	STEM POC
New Mexico	Rebecca Estrada	LANL Higher Education & some K-12	STEM POC
New Mexico	Cheryl Garcia	Sandia National Laboratories (K-12)	STEM POC
New Mexico	Debra Menke	Sandia National Laboratories	K-12 STEM Education Program Manager
New Mexico	Laurence E. Brown	Sandia National Laboratories	STEM POC
New Mexico	Kathy Keith	LANL Community Partnerships Office	Tribal Relations Program Manager / STEM POC
New Mexico	Rosemary Maestas	Tribal Communities Liaison	LANL Tribal Communities Liaison
New Mexico	Monica Martinez-Archuleta	LANL	K-12 STEM Education Outreach Specialist
New York	Ken White	Brookhaven National Laboratory	STEM POC
New York	Aleida Perez	Brookhaven National Laboratory	STEM POC
New York	Noel Blackburn	Brookhaven National Laboratory	University Relations / DOE Internship Program Manager
Tennessee	Katy Brown	Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)	Community Engagement
Tennessee	Alison Melton	Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)	K-12 STEM POC
Tennessee	Ja’Wanda Grant	Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)	Post-secondary STEM POC
Washington	Cameron Salony	Hanford Site
Washington	Santos Ortega	Hanford (Richland Operations Office and Office of River Protection) \| Hammer Future Workforce Board	Primary-RL
Washington	Deb Bowen	HAMMER Future Workforce Board	Primary-The STEM Foundation
Washington	Tracy Desmond	HAMMER Future Workforce Board	Primary-Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS)
Washington	Kate McAteer	HAMMER Future Workforce Board	Washington State University Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs
Washington	Julie Lindstrom	HAMMER Future Workforce Board	Vice President, Workforce Solutions, HMIS
Washington	Christy Rasmussen	HAMMER Future Workforce Board	Initiative Lead
Washington	Susan Snyder	HAMMER Future Workforce Board	Alternate-HLMI
Washington	Paul Vandervert	HAMMER Future Workforce Board	Primary-HAMMER Sponsor
Washington	Grant Monrean	HAMMER Future Workforce Board	Primary Communications-Washington River Protection Solutions
Washington	Rob Roxburgh	HAMMER Future Workforce Board	CPCCo
Washington	Kelsey Gomez	HAMMER Future Workforce Board	Primary HR-Washington River Protection Solutions
Washington	Megan Weitz	HAMMER Future Workforce Board	CPCCo
Washington	Shayna Hansen	HAMMER Future Workforce Board	CPCCo
Washington	Dan Seitz	HAMMER Future Workforce Board	Manager, Workforce Resources and Development, HMIS
Washington	Evangelina Shreeve	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)	Director/STEM POC
Washington	Jacob A. Skeels	Pacific Northwest Site Office	Communications Officer / STEM POC
Washington	Tom McDermott	Pacific Northwest Site Office	STEM POC