Diné College Prioritizes Research with Selection of Vice-Provost for Research
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2022
TSAILE, AZ, May 10, 2022 v — Diné College announced today that it has appointed Andrea Christelle, PhD, to the newly-created position of Vice-Provost for Research. In this role, Dr. Christelle will be responsible for college-wide research and scholarship advocacy. She will also manage the Office of Research, which consists of the Institutional Grants Office, Diné Policy Institute and the Institutional Review Board.
Dr. Geraldine Garrity, provost, said the new role is critical as the college plans its transition from a four-year institution to a university. “A broad research profile is at the heart of our ability to expand our impact within and beyond the Navajo Nation,” said Garrity. “Dr. Christelle’s track record in working on multimillion-dollar grant proposal teams and her experience supporting projects from diverse areas including social sciences, hard sciences, business, the humanities, and fine arts made her the perfect candidate.”
Dr. Christelle is currently serving as the grant proposal developer at Diné College. “I’m excited to support research at every level and for all disciplines—from senior faculty to undergraduates, individual investigators to multi-institutional collaborations, and art history to biomedical sciences,” said Dr. Christelle. “We will work to create new opportunities for our researchers to engage with a wider public audience so that the world hears more about the amazing work that is happening at Diné College.”
Before joining Diné College in July 2021, Dr. Christelle was an Acting Director in the Office for the Vice President for Research at the University of Texas at Austin supporting Good Systems, an interdisciplinary research team that develops artificial intelligence (AI) to benefit society. In this role, she led the development of a groundbreaking collaborative program with the World Economic Forum. Prior to joining the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Christelle was the Director of the Arizona Hospitality Research and Resource Center in the W.A. Franke College at Northern Arizona University. She also founded and directed the university’s Philosophy in the Public Interest (PPI) program. The first-of-its-kind program created opportunities for the Northern Arizona community to engage in thoughtful and open dialogue about contemporary topics and remains a central part of the university’s outreach program today.
Dr. Christelle holds a bachelor’s degree in English from The Ohio State University, a master’s degree in philosophy from The University of Southern Mississippi and a doctorate in philosophy from Tulane University.
As a postsecondary educational institution, Diné College awards Associate degrees, Bachelor’s degrees, and Certificates in areas important to the economic and social development of the Navajo Nation. To comply with the College mission, personalized instruction is guaranteed to each student because of the low student-faculty ratio. All are welcome to apply.
