Convoy

Project Summary

Provide professional research administration and development services and stewardship of external funds to the Dine College research community. The Office of Research will support and enhance the College’s strategic initiatives and the Nation’s priorities with exceptional service.

Our Team

Dr. Shazia Tabassum Hakim
Principal Investigator

Dr. Babatunde Ojo
Co-Principal Investigator

Ms. Benita Litson
Co-Investigator

Ms. Francetta Begaye
Co-Investigator

Advisory Board

Ms.Crystal Carr(DC)

Ms.Charis Salaby(TCRHCC)

Ms.Phyllis Begay(DC)

Ms.Reny Matthew(GHAHS)

Ms.Dorothea Litson

Mr.Arnold Clifford

First Cohort selected for Summer & Fall of 2024

DC Mentor Avatars

Maya Begay
Brandon Canyon
Alexandrea Delarosa

High School Mentees

Kaiden Manygoats
Kimera Nelson
Melody Tuvequaftewa
Ty Tracy
Kaylee E. Manygoats
Jessica John
Joel Spencer
Muhammad Hamza Tayyab
Cadence Soria

Junior High School Mentees

Wylie B. Sherman
Talha Tayyab
Wiley Hatathlie
Wyatt Attakai
Elaina Begay

Our Collaborators

Name of Current Collaborating Schools is in Power point (Tuba City High School, Tuba City Junior High School, Greyhills Academy High School, Tuba City, Tuba City Boarding School, Pinion High School)

Name of Current Collaborating Institutes are in Agenda (Varman Lab., ASU; Pueblo Science Lab., UNM; Neural Diversity Lab., UNM; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning Center; UAS Aviation Operations Unit (UAOU), Sandia National Lab, NM; Tuba City Regional Healthcare Corporation; AT Still University)

Project Description

Project Narrative: Because the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the dire need for more healthcare professionals in the Navajo Nation, we will create pathways for high school and junior high school students to pursue Biomedical Sciences, Public Health, Allied healthcare, and related STEM careers. Our entrepreneurial approach builds critical thinking and citizenship capacity (aligned with NGSS) by encouraging students to imagine innovative solutions and providing them with the resources to implement and test their hypotheses. Our strategy also includes the near-peer model which pairs Diné College students (mentors) with high school and junior high students from underserved communities, particularly Navajo Nation to build leadership capacity for college students and create pathways to higher education in Biomedical Sciences/ STEM programs for pre-K-12 students.