Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement
Project overview
The purpose of RISE (Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement) funding is to support and research activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce. To this end, Northern Arizona University proposes to increase the number of Native American and other underrepresented scientists prepared to enter PhD’s in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields specifically related to environmental health. This program uses the drivers of culturally-relevant support, hands-on research experiences, and a tailored curriculum to increase the number of underrepresented undergraduates who successfully proceed to a master’s degree and master’s degree students who progress to the doctoral level.
Program benefits
Students will work with one of many NAU faculty mentors in the program (listed below with research areas). Program benefits for the students include:
Masters:
- NAU-rate stipend with tuition and health benefits during the academic year and summer.
Undergraduate:
- NAU hourly wage for research at $12.15/hour
- support for travel to conferences
- research funds
- intensive training outside the lab and career development through a targeted curriculum and workshops
Students served
At the time of application, students will meet the following guidelines:
- have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
- any student who will be an incoming junior or senior by the fall of the application year, or any qualified student wishing to apply as a first year MS student
- must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States or lawfully admitted U.S. permanent residents
- all students must be planning to be enrolled as full-time students at NAU during the period of their RISE program
- must be from one of the NIH-defined underrepresented groups in the U.S. Biomedical, Clinical, Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Enterprise:
- Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.
- individuals with disabilities
- individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds
Program director and mentor
Program coordinator and mentor
Co-investigators and potential mentors (to date)
We welcome additional mentors working on Environmental Health issues.
Anita Antoninka (PC) Accordion Closed
Soil ecology and dryland restoration, implications for ecological and human health.
Learn more about Anita Antoninka.
Julie Baldwin Accordion Closed
PhD, Health Sciences: Working Towards Reducing Substance Abuse and Obesity for Healthier Native American Youth
Learn more about Julie Baldwin.
Bridget Barker Accordion Closed
Associate Professor, Biology; Director ABSL3 core, PMI
Dr. Barker focuses her research on the intersection of genomics and epidemiology of environmentally acquired infectious diseases, such as Valley Fever and other fungal infections.
Learn more about Bridget Barker.
Matthew Bowker Accordion Closed
PhD, School of Forestry: Linkages between ecosystem and human health
Learn more about Matthew Bowker.
Emily Cope Accordion Closed
Assistant Professor of Biology and Assistant Director of NAU’s Pathogen Microbiome Institute
Dr. Cope’s focuses on the roles of microbiota in chronic illnesses, many with links to environmental health.
Learn more about Emily Cope.
Dirk de Heer Accordion Closed
PhD, MPH. Health Sciences: Improving Health through Prevention of Chronic Diseases and Metabolic Disorders among Native Americans
Learn more about Dirk de Heer.
Catrin Edgley Accordion Closed
PhD, School of Forestry: Human Impacts of Fire
Learn more about Catrin Edgley.
Peter Fulé Accordion Closed
Regents´ Professor, School of Forestry: Linkages between ecosystem and human health
Learn more about Peter Fulé.
John Georgas Accordion Closed
PhD, Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems: Reducing Distances to Improve Native American Access to Health Care
Learn more about John Georgas.
Jani Ingram Accordion Closed
PhD, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry: Environmental Contamination from Exposure Pathways through Native American Food and Water Resources
Learn more about Jani Ingram.
Robert Kellar Accordion Closed
PhD, Center for Bioengineering Innovation (CBI): Influence of Environmental Contamination on Wound Healing
Learn more about Robert Kellar.
Naomi Lee Accordion Closed
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Vaccine development towards chronic and infectious diseases to improve the health of Native American communities.
Learn more about Naomi Lee.
Erika Nowak Accordion Closed
PhD, School of Earth and Sustainability and Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Adaptive Western Landscapes: Education-based Prevention of Venomous Snakebite; Conservation of Threatened Herpetofauna Affected by Human-transmitted Pathogens.
Catherine Propper (PD) Accordion Closed
PhD, Biological Sciences, Environmental contaminants influence physiological and behavioral outcomes in vertebrates and the implications of these exposures for biodiversity and human health.
Learn more about Catherine Propper.
Matthew Salanga Accordion Closed
PhD, Biological Sciences: Effect of Environmental Contaminants on Development and Cancer
Learn more about Matthew Salanga.
Priscilla Sanderson Accordion Closed
PhD, CRC, Health Sciences: Navajo Nation Healthy Diné Act: An Implementation Study
Learn more about Priscilla Sanderson.
Marc Tollis Accordion Closed
PhD, Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems: Comparative Genomics of Vertebrates and Cancer Across the Tree of Life
Learn more about Marc Tollis.
Tinna Traustadottir Accordion Closed
PhD, Biological Sciences: Redox Biology of Aging
Learn more about Tinna Traustadottir.
2022 RISE Fellows
MS Fellows Accordion Closed
Brianne Cooke (mentor: Anita Antoninka)
Nelly McCuistion (mentor: Matthew Bowker/Anita Antoninka)
Tahj Moore (mentor: Naomi Lee/Catherine Propper)
BS Fellows Accordion Closed
Jared Begay (mentor: Pete Fule)
Taylor Gilmore (mentor: Rob Kellar)
Daisy Vega Monarrez (mentor: Emily Cope)
Dominick Rodriguez (mentor: Tinna Traustadottir)
Colleen Ung (mentor: Jason Ladner)
2021 RISE Fellows
MS Fellows Accordion Closed
Brenda Padilla (mentor: Rob Kellar)
Marquis Yazzie (mentor: Jani Ingram)
Mialynn Jim (mentor: Jani Ingram)
Yazhmin Dozal (mentor: Rebecca Best)
BS Fellows Accordion Closed
Ivory Bacy (mentor: Anita Antoninka)
George Testo (mentor: Emily Cope)
Antonio Ivie (mentor: Emily Cope)
Amber Born (mentor: Cathy Propper)
2020 RISE Fellows
MS Fellows Accordion Closed
Karina Cocks (mentor: Erika Nowak)
Crystal Morales (mentor: Naomi Lee)
Marjorie Nguyen (mentor: Robert Kellar)
BS Fellows Accordion Closed
Angelica Alvarado (mentor: Julie Baldwin)
Meredith Dennis (mentor: Naomi Lee)
Yasmin Leon (mentor: Tinna Traustadottir)
Chantel Tsosie (mentor: Matthew Salanga)
2019 RISE Fellows
MS Fellows Accordion Closed
Melissa Cabrera Bernal (mentor: Talima Pearson)
Dominic Dominguez (mentor: Rob Kellar)
Elliot Dominguez (mentor: Frank von Hippel)
Desirae Enriquez (mentor: Catherine Propper)
Oscar Lujan (mentor: Matthew Salanga)
BS Fellows Accordion Closed
Emily Ferla (mentor: Tinna Traustadottir)
Kaitlyn Parra (mentor: Bridget Barker)
Edith de la Torre (mentor: Matthew Salanga)
2018 RISE Fellows
MS Fellows Accordion Closed
Ronald Allen, Jr. (Mentor: Matthew Salanga)
Nathan Cruz (Mentor: Robert Kellar)
Chloe Greenhalgh-Adams (Mentor: Catherine Propper)
Tasha Nez (Mentor: Jani Ingram)
BS Fellows Accordion Closed
Joseph Espinoza (Mentor: Frank von Hippel and Julie Baldwin)
Nadja Jones (Mentor: Tinna Traustadottir)
Katia Rojas (Mentor: Dirk de Heer and Julie Baldwin)
Joshelle Tsinnijinnie (Mentor: Jason Wilder)