Karletta Chief
Karletta Chief is a Diné hydrologist, best known for her work to address environmental pollution on the Navajo Nation and increase the participation of Native Americans in STEM.
Education
Chief earned her B.S. and M.S. in civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University. She completed her PhD in hydrology and water resources at the University of Arizona in 2007, where she is now a faculty member.[1]
Career
One of Chief's research interests is addressing food, energy and water challenges in Indigenous communities with methods that include their traditional values.[2] In particular, she has researched the impacts of the 2015 Gold King Mine spill on residents of the Navajo Nation.[3] As part of this work, Chief gives public presentations in the Navajo language, especially to farmers, ranchers, and families who are affected by pollution and mining waste.[4] She has said that her scientific research and her identity are closely linked, telling Science Friday, “my identity is water-based [from the Bitter Water Clan]. And so that motivates me to do the work that I do.”[5]
Chief was featured in a short film produced by Science Friday in 2018.[4][5]
Selected awards and honors
- Most Promising Engineer/Scientist, American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), 2011[6]
- Distinguished Alumni Scholar, Stanford University, 2013[1]
- Native American 40 Under 40, National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, 2015[1]
- Professional of the Year, AISES, 2016[6][1]
- Woman of the Year, Phoenix Indian Center, 2016[7]
- Featured Speaker, Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Native Americans in STEM (SACNAS), 2019[7]
Selected publications
- Chief, K., R. E. Emanuel, and O. Conroy-Ben (2019), Indigenous symposium on water research, education, and engagement, Eos, 100, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EO114313. Published on 24 January 2019.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d "Celebrating Women in STEM: Dr. Karletta Chief - University News |". info.umkc.edu. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
- ^ Litvack, Emily (2019-09-25). "Students Tackle 21st Century Sustainability Challenges on the Navajo Nation". University of Arizona News. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Shinn, Mary (2016-08-05). "Navajo researcher leads search for answers about contamination". Durango Herald. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "Karletta Chief featured in Science Friday film (Environmental Factor, April 2018)". National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
- ^ a b "Bitter Water". Science Friday. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
- ^ a b "2016 AISES Professional of the Year Award Winners Announced". AISES. 2016-08-24. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "Keynote Speakers – SACNAS". Retrieved 2019-10-29.
- ^ "Indigenous Symposium on Water Research, Education, and Engagement". Eos. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
| Authority control databases: Academics |
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