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 building efforts that support Indigenous learners from childhood through professional careers. Her published research explores Native students’ experiences in computing, the role of cultural identity in STEM persistence, and methodological innovations for community-based participatory research with Indigenous populations, and throughout this work she centers the 4Rs framework (Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, and Responsibility) and advocates for Indigenous Data Sovereignty as foundational to ethical research practice. A national voice for the uplifting of Indigenous STEM knowledge, Dr. DeerInWater has forged partnerships with tribal nations, federal agencies, corporations, and philanthropic organizations to expand opportunities for Indigenous peoples across STEM fields, bringing deep expertise in grant development, program evaluation, and organizational.