Raised in a traditional Unangax (Aleut) village in Alaska's Aleutian chain, Dr. Michele Yatchmeneff is a graduate of the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership, receiving an MS in Engineering Management from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2009 and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue in 2015. She is now an Associate Professor of Engineering and Executive Director of Alaska Native Education and Outreach at University of Alaska, Anchorage and a faculty mentor in the SIGP program.
Program Goal
To support the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives and scholarship in STEM graduate education and the professoriate
About
The Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership (SIGP) is a consortium of higher education institutions that seek to transform graduate STEM education in ways that support the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives, knowledge, values, and experiences; that allow scholars to address issues relevant to Indigenous communities; that improve student outcomes and promote a sense of belonging in graduate STEM degree programs; and that prepare students to pursue STEM professions in and beyond the professoriate.
The SIGP model includes activities in four key areas of graduate education: recruitment and admission, mentoring and sponsorship, community-building, and student funding. Undergraduate partner institutions contribute to the expansion and strengthening of pathways to graduate degrees. Foundation-supported scholarships for SIGP Sloan Scholars are a key feature of the program. Grant funds are used as “top-off” dollars, with campuses providing a full financial package to both M.S. and Ph.D. students. Beyond the graduate degree, alumni engagement takes place through a partnership with the Sloan Scholars Mentoring Network housed at the Social Science Research Council.
SIGP Institutional Partners
Participating institutions in the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership include:.
Day-to-day operations of the Sloan Indigenous Graduate partnership are administered by the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME).
Resources
Apply
The Foundation is not currently seeking new institutional partners for the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership.
This program does not award scholarships or fellowships directly to students. Graduate students interested in acquiring funding should inquire with one of our SIGP partners about relevant processes, eligibility, etc.