2023 summer internships made a significant impact on four Indigenous students

POSTED ON Nov 21, 2023

As part of the ASU-Berkeley Lab STEM Pathways program, four undergraduate Native American students from Arizona State University had the opportunity to deepen their love of science and consider pursuing a PhD in STEM-related fields.

The program was led by Gary Moore, an associate professor affiliated with the Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery.

Hannah Nockideneh, Hozhoo Emerson, Jordan Barriga, and Kai-Se Toledo, who are all Navajo, worked 40-hour weeks at Berkeley Lab, collaborated with peers from across the US, wrote a research paper, and presented a poster session during the final week of the program.

They also received funding support to cover travel, stipend, housing costs, and other materials.

This initiative aims to disrupt systemic racism, bias, and discrimination in institutional policy and practice regarding STEM while developing and enhancing educational pathways for undergraduate Indigenous students in STEM fields.

Sadly, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, of the more than 55,000 students who received Ph.D. degrees in the United States in 2019, only 40 were Native American/Alaska Native in STEM-related fields.

Thanks to the ASU Pathways program, four ASU Native American students interned at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory!

— Arizona State University (@ASU) October 9, 2023