The AISES Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Dr. Mary Jo Ondrechen is the winner of the 2026 Ely S. Parker Award, the organization’s highest honor. Dr. Ondrechen is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Northeastern University in Boston. “Dr. Mary Jo Ondrechen embodies the very essence of dedication and leadership that the Ely S. Parker Award seeks to honor,” says Mike Laverdure, chair of

As the 2026 AISES Professional Award recipients, these exemplars represent AISES’ dual ideals of excellence at both the individual and community levels. They are extraordinary leaders, scientists, engineers, and technologists, while also creating STEM pathways for younger practitioners and giving back to Indigenous communities in multiple ways. Their examples and stories demonstrate how science can incorporate Tribal perspectives and values of respect and responsiveness–resulting in innovation and significant impact. These

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AISES and AISES Canada Announce John Desjarlais as Inaugural Executive Director of AISES Canada ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico & REGINA, Saskatchewan (July 2026) – Advancing Indigenous Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and AISES Canada (ACAN) are pleased to announce the appointment of John Desjarlais as the inaugural Executive Director of AISES Canada, effective July 1, 2026. The AISES Canada Board of Directors unanimously approved the appointment. In this

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Dr. Tiffany Smith, Director of Research and Career Support for AISES. Since joining AISES in 2021, Tiffany brought unwavering warmth, optimism, and courage as she faced a prolonged fight with metastatic breast cancer. Her dedication to higher education and commitment to uplifting Native students through research were not just elements of her career — they were her calling. Tiffany

  Dear AISES Community, I’m writing to share an important reminder about our annual spring regional conferences. Earlier this year, we made the decision that AISES will not hold regional conferences in 2026, and we want to ensure everyone in our community has this information. Our strategic plan calls for reimagining how we bring AISES capabilities and programming to communities in ways that create lasting, place-based change. Regional conferences in

AISES is pleased to announce the newest members of the organization’s Board of Directors. We are excited to welcome Kevin Allis (Forest County Potawatomi Community), Carly Hare (Pawnee/Yankton), Joshua John (Navajo), Hokulani Sharp (Native Hawaiian), and Kelli Matthews Smalling (Muscogee Nation) as incoming members of the 2026-2028 board. Kevin Allis is the President of Thunderbird Strategic LLC and Founder of the Native American Aviation Association. He previously served as the

A lifelong public servant, mentor, and advocate for Indigenous communities, Dr. Carol Vallee Crouch passed away on July 10, 2025, in Norman, Okla., at the age of 74. A proud member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation in Pablo, Mont., Dr. Crouch served on the AISES Board of Directors in the early 2000s and was inducted as an AISES Sequoyah Fellow in 2007. She was

AISES is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Professional Awards! These prestigious honors recognize the exceptional achievements, leadership, and impact of Indigenous professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This year’s awardees exemplify the brilliance, innovation, and dedication that continue to inspire current and future generations across Native communities and beyond. AISES will formally recognize the honorees at the 2025 AISES National Conference, taking place October 2-4

“I was the first American Indian to be enrolled at Creighton University.  And I began to realize that it was going to be very much living in a fishbowl, with everybody observing me and what I was doing as an American Indian.” The AISES family is deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. George Blue Spruce Jr. As the first American Indian to graduate from a U.S. dental school, he