Dr. Kathy DeerInWater, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, serves as Vice President of Strategic Impact at the Advancing Indigenous Science and Engineering Society (AISES), where she has spent over a decade building one of the most comprehensive Indigenous STEM ecosystems in the country. Her work sits at the intersection of Indigenous communities and STEM education and workforce development, spanning faculty career support, culturally sustaining STEM education, and multi-generational community

Brittany Anderson is a descendant of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Anishinaabe. She has been involved in AISES since her undergraduate career and is very excited to be furthering her involvement with AISES as a Career Support Senior Program Officer. In this role, Brittany will be serving within the Career Support and Research Team. Earning a bachelor’s degree in American Indian studies, political science, and postcolonial indigenous

Ruben is the Advisor, Information Systems and joined AISES in November of 2015. He oversees the IT department that is responsible for the organization’s IT infrastructure. He has over 15 years’ experience working with Native American nonprofits in the areas of IT systems management, database management, web design, graphic design, communications and programs. Prior to joining AISES, Ruben worked with several native nonprofits including First Nations Development Institute, the American

DJ Hoffman joined AISES in 2026 as the Senior Strategic Impact Officer, bringing more than two decades of experience working with Tribal governments, Inter-Tribal organizations, and nonprofit initiatives across Indian Country. A citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, DJ has focused his career on advancing Tribal self-determination through economic development, strategic program leadership, and the effective use of federal and philanthropic resources. His work has consistently

Elise Lussier joined AISES in March 2019 and continues to serve in her role, now with a focus on Salesforce. Her career highlights include over 20 years at IBM, advancing through all levels of software engineering to become an Advisory Software Engineer and Software Developer. Elise was also one of only five people hired in the U.S. as a Customer Relations Manager, a role that had her traveling extensively to

A citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Laura Vicenti serves as the Impact Data Manager to engage with and expand the membership of AISES. Laura grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has spent much of her life living and working throughout the state. She earned a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Colorado Boulder and another B.A. in Environmental Studies from Fort Lewis College in Durango. While living