About Us:
About ITEP
ITEP Faculty & Research Affiliates
The mission of the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) at Northern Arizona University (NAU) is to "strengthens tribal capacity and sovereignty in environmental and natural resource management through culturally relevant education, research, partnerships and policy-based services." Since our inception in 1992 ITEP has formed collaborative partnerships with NAU faculty to develop programs and offer services to tribes regionally and nationwide.
Partnerships with NAU faculty in Environmental Engineering for example, have been instrumental in formulating ITEP’s air quality management training programs. This national training and technical assistance program established in the mid 90’s is the cornerstone of ITEP’s programming and has served as a model for all other programs that have developed since. More recently ITEP has been partnering with faculty in Mechanical Engineering to expand opportunities for NAU students to work with tribes on renewable energy projects.
ITEP has grown from a small staff of 3 individuals in 1992, to 25 full and part-time staff in 2015. We also employ many undergraduate and graduate students as interns or student workers throughout the year. Our programs and services include Environmental Education & Outreach; Climate Change Adaptation & Planning; Ambient Air Quality Management; Solid & Hazardous Waste Management; Environmental Information Exchange Networks; Indoor Air Quality Management; Water Resources Management; and Renewable Energy Planning and Development. With many of our programs we seek to provide tribes with policy, management and technical training and expertise.
With ITEP’s mission in mind, we seek to expand our faculty partnerships at NAU and beyond where there is mutual interest and opportunities for a collaborative partnership. To become an ITEP Faculty & Research Affiliate requires the following:
- Desire on the part of ITEP and interested faculty and or research staff to work collaboratively and develop programs or services for the benefit of tribes and students.
- Submission of a letter of interest and C.V. to ITEP by interested faculty and/or research staff.
- Develop culturally-respectful collaborations and community-based participatory research;
- Collaborate on programs and projects that benefit tribes and environmental protection;
- Develop research and training opportunities for NAU students;
- Work directly with tribes to address community and regional scale environmental issues;
- Network and learn how tribes are developing unique and innovative environmental programs;
- Attend and present at national tribal environmental conferences that ITEP develops annually
Expertise: Science education and research training; biological diversity and ecosystem function; environmental health especially of Native American communities.
Expertise: Tribal governance; Native American education; climate research education and community engagement; international Indigenous education and research.
Expertise: Working with Native American air quality professionals; curriculum development.
Expertise: Renewable energy; energy systems (wind, solar, and hydropower), electrical grid integration of wind, solar and hydropower; fluid mechanics; smart grid; gas dynamics.
Expertise: Native American communities; cancer disparities among Native Americans; environmental exposure effects of uranium and arsenic on Navajo communities.
Expertise: environmental endocrinology; reproductive endocrinology.
Expertise: pollination ecology, biodiversity conservation, adaptive restoration ecology.
Vice President
Office of Native American Initiatives
Northern Arizona University
Ann-Marie.Chischilly@nau.edu