At the 2023 event held in October in Portland, SAFS graduate student, Nicole Doran, won the research presentation prize for Best Graduate Student Oral Presentation in the field of Ecology and Evolution, and recent Marine Biology graduate, Olivia Anderson, won a Native American/Indigenous Student Research Abstract Award. Both students worked with the Applied Ecology Lab at SAFS, advised by Mark Scheuerell.
Nicole Doran (l) and Olivia Anderson (r) both won student awards at the SACNAS NDiSTEM event.
Crediting the NDiSTEM event as a vital part of her academic success, Nicole describes feeling recharged after the event: “SACNAS truly live up to their mission to celebrate diversity in STEM, and they do this through packing in as much Latine and Indigenous culture as they can into a weekend”.
Nicole Doran receives the award for Best Graduate Student Oral Presentation.
Participating in the conference for the third time, Nicole presented her first thesis chapter and its follow-up project through an oral presentation. Her work involves looking at how settler colonialism has impacted Indigenous food systems, and she presented literature review of academic papers, historical documents, traditional ecological knowledge and reports: “I’m presenting a framework for understanding the layers of environmental injustice that permeates cultural food systems such as those maintained by Indigenous communities.”
Upon receiving her award, Nicole shared that it was a huge honor being awarded at this particular conference: “I have struggled to find an audience that understands my work the way I do, but I found that at SACNAS. It was a huge honor as there were many amazing presentations this year, and being selected to present is very competitive in itself”.
Olivia Anderson with her Native American/Indigenous Student Research Abstract Award.
Olivia Anderson, also part of the IBIS mentoring program, attended the SACNAS event for the first time this year and found the wide range of cultures and backgrounds reflected in the projects a breath of fresh air: “It was evident that everyone was deeply passionate about their research, and the event showcased how students from varied backgrounds were not only valued but celebrated for the unique perspectives they bring to the research landscape.”
Events like NDiSTEM play an important role for science by being a space of inclusion and diversity, according to Olivia: “I firmly believe that when students from diverse backgrounds across the nation come together to exchange ideas and knowledge, it strengthens the entire STEM community.”
By providing a forum where students can showcase research that holds deep personal or community significance, Olivia shared why her research on sockeye salmon – a crucial fish for the cultural well-being and sovereignty of Coast Salish Tribes – was so important to share during NDiSTEM: “I enjoyed sharing my research because I feel a close cultural connection to salmon, and I could tell that this personal connection was not unique to me.”
UW undergraduates, Kristine Prado-Casillas (l) and Dereck Cordova (r), both part of the IBIS program, presented their research at SACNAS.
For Associate Teaching Professor José Guzmán, who leads theIBIS mentoring program at UW which matches grad students with undergrads from underrepresented backgrounds in geosciences, he describes SACNAS as a fantastic opportunity for students to get hands-on experience in presenting and communicating their own research in a professional environment. “We had almost 10 undergrads from the IBIS program presenting their posters, which got so much interest from the event attendees. It was really meaningful and fulfilling to see them living and breathing science and acting so professionally while doing it.
“This is exactly the outcome you want to see from mentoring programs like IBIS, where students feel confident and empowered to conduct research and communicate about it,” he added.
The UW College of the Environment cohort at SACNAS NDiSTEM 2023.
Long-term attendee of SACNAS, but for the first time in his new position as Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the UW College of the Environment, Corey Garza said that the event is special because it’s a place where students can start to see themselves in science, how they fit in, and where their backgrounds fit in. “SACNAS encourages student scientists to be themselves. It’s important to meet individuals who are both interested in the science you’re conducting, but also you as a person. Witnessing others who look like you or share the same background as you in the science field goes a long way in enhancing diversity and inclusion.”
“I felt so proud to be presenting my full self on the big stage at SACNAS and felt the presence of my mentors and elders walking with me,” said Nicole. “I do this work for future generations.”
“Winning this award has been such a big confidence boost and is such a huge motivation to continue research in the future,” Olivia added.
Read the full experiences of Nicole Doran and Olivia Anderson at the SACNAS NDiSTEM event below.
This was my third SACNAS NDiSTEM Conference and I have been a chapter member first at my alma mater Ohio State University and now UW for seven years. Attending NDiSTEM every year is a vital part of my academic success, and I would not be where I am today without it. I leave the conference feeling empowered, committed to my research, and eternally grateful to the community I have built.
This year my primary goal for the conference was to promote the research I have been working on for the past two years. I was so excited to present my first thesis chapter and its follow-up project at SACNAS through an oral presentation because I knew SACNAS would be the best place to bring this work. My thesis chapter is a literature review of over 300 academic papers, historical documents, traditional ecological knowledge, reports, and more, looking at how settler colonialism has impacted Indigenous food systems. It presents a framework for understanding the layers of environmental injustice that permeates cultural food systems such as those maintained by Indigenous communities. From food security to more culturally appropriate definitions of food sovereignty, and cultural sovereignty more broadly, Indigenous communities have faced (and continue to experience) joint environmental and economic marginalization by the settler state that seeks to disrupt Indigenous Peoples’ traditional relationships with their Lands and Waters. And so, my project documented the ways settler colonialism has physically altered waterscapes, polluted water resources, exploited culturally significant animals, intentionally introduced novel species that re-shaped ecological relationships, and finally the impacts of global climate change on Indigenous foodways.
My follow up project was taking this lens of food justice and looking not at what settler colonialism has foreclosed, but how cultural-ecological systems lend themselves to building resilience of Indigenous communities and their foodways despite the injustices settler colonialism has imposed. By cultural-ecological systems, I mean being in relationship with environments in traditional ways, where human society is not separated from nature, but rather tightly interwoven through reciprocal relationships that have been sustained since time immemorial.
This work has not been well received in other spaces; in fact, it has been torn apart in other academic spaces before. And I have struggled to find an audience that understands it in the way I do. I found that at SACNAS. I received the award for best graduate student oral presentation in my field of ecology and evolution. It was a huge honor as there were many amazing presentations this year, and being selected to present is very competitive in itself. Also, graduate students can only present an oral presentation once in their career, so I am glad that I had the opportunity to present this work at NDiSTEM 2023. Honored doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt receiving the award for this work that is so near to my heart. I felt so proud to be presenting my full self on the big stage at SACNAS and felt the presence of my mentors and elders walking with me. I do this work for future generations. I have been blessed to be with my partner who is Diné (Navajo) for six years and have learned so much about his family’s experience with environmental injustice in Navajo Nation, and so I dedicate this work to them, specifically his cheii (grandpa). Whenever I present this work, I always wear turquoise jewelry he has made so that a piece of him is there bearing witness to the next generation thriving and fighting against injustice that he has experienced.
I will be bringing this presentation to the SAFS Graduate Student Symposium 2023 on November 17. I was originally planning on trimming important pieces of it out to fit inside of a box that I thought would be a better fit for SAFS, but receiving this award has empowered me to not try to accommodate academia. It will be presented in its fullest form.
Unlike most conferences, my energy feels recharged after SACNAS. When I describe NDiSTEM to others, I just say it’s a big party. They truly live up to their mission to celebrate diversity in STEM, and they do this through packing in as much Latine and Indigenous culture as they can into a weekend. NDiSTEM is a space where I can be surrounded by incredible, cutting-edge research, and dance until five in the morning. I can advance my professional career and be my full self at the same time. I feel at home in the round dance circle at NDiSTEM, following in the footsteps of SACNAS elders alongside the new generation of students. I don’t have to put on a mask, or sacrifice parts of myself to fit in. Everyone is accepted as they are at SACNAS.
Why is SACNAS needed?In our home institutions, it is very difficult to feel connected with community. Sacnistas at PWI (primarily white institutions) are often one of the only people in their respective fields that look like them, think like them, and understand things the way they do. I feel that here at UW where Indigenous perspectives have been historically excluded and are still not well represented in STEM fields. I have gotten involved in the American Indian Studies program here at UW, but I still feel like a piece of myself is missing in STEM spaces. SACNAS is my one opportunity every year to bring my work to a place where it is appreciated, understood, and celebrated. It is my one opportunity every year to be with my friends and mentors that are scattered across dozens of universities in the United States. It is discouraging to do work that is critical to settler colonialism in an institution designed by settler colonialism. SACNAS is my annual reminder to keep pushing. There will come a day when my work will be needed and valuable outside of spaces like SACNAS, and because of NDiSTEM I will be ready.
Olivia Anderson, Marine Biology Graduate 2023
What was it like attending the SACNAS NDiSTEM event?
I had such an amazing time at the SACNAS NDiSTEM conference! As a first timer at a large national conference, I had no idea what to expect. I had the fantastic opportunity to showcase my research, explore potential grad school paths with universities, and make valuable connections through networking. My favorite part of the conference was delving into the diverse world of research conducted by fellow students. The wide range of cultures and backgrounds reflected in their projects was a breath of fresh air. It was evident that everyone was deeply passionate about their research, and the event showcased how students from varied backgrounds were not only valued but celebrated for the unique perspectives they bring to the research landscape.
Why are events like these important for science?
These gatherings play a vital role in the world of science as they foster a sense of belonging, community, and family. I firmly believe that when students from diverse backgrounds across the nation come together to exchange ideas and knowledge, it strengthens the entire STEM community. Such events provide a platform for students to showcase research that holds deep personal or community significance. For example, I enjoyed sharing my research because I feel a close cultural connection to salmon. I could tell that this personal connection was not unique to me. Discovering the personal connections and unique perspectives held by each student was a true highlight and demonstrates the importance of these events.
What was your presentation about?
My presentation was on sockeye salmon research that I conducted through the IBIS program. More specifically, this research compared three sockeye ecotypes in Lake Washington using stable isotope analysis. This research is really important because sockeye salmon are crucial for the cultural well-being and sovereignty of Coast Salish Tribes. It is well-known that salmon in Lake Washington are under a lot of anthropogenic stressors, which can cause shifts in food web dynamics. So the goal of the research was to understand more about the distinct ecological roles these salmon inhabit in order to inform management actions.
What award did you win and how did you feel when you received it?
I won a Native American/Indigenous Student Research Abstract Award. The first thing I felt upon hearing the news that I won this award was surprise and shock. I honestly could not believe that out of so many students, my abstract was selected for this award.
Immediately after, I felt a lot of gratitude towards my mentor Nicole Doran and advisor Mark Scheuerell. They have helped me so much every step of the way, and I could not have done it without their guidance. Winning this award has been such a big confidence boost and is such a huge motivation to continue research in the future!
