Karletta Chief

Biography

Dr. Karletta Chief (Diné) is a Professor & Extension Specialist in Environmental Science at the University of Arizona. She is the director of the Indigenous Resilience Center and lead for the NSF Indigenous Food, Energy, and Water Security and Sovereignty Training Program. Indige-FEWSS’s vision is to develop a diverse workforce with intercultural awareness and expertise in sustainable food, energy, and water systems (FEWS), specifically through off grid technologies to address the lack of safe water, energy, and food security in Indigenous communities. Dr. Karletta Chief grew up on the Navajo Nation without electricity and running water. Her family live within the Peabody Coal Company leasehold area. Her lived personal experiences of environmental injustice and as a first-generation graduate motivate her to devote all her environmental research to supporting the resilience of Indigenous communities and training of students in sustainable technologies. Her primary Navajo projects include “Navajo COVID-19 Risks and Indigenous Resilience and Gold King Mine Spill Diné Exposure Project. Dr. Chief received a B.S. and M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University in 1998 and 2000 and a Ph.D. in Hydrology and Water Resources from UArizona in 2007. She completed her post-doctorate at Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas, NV. In 2011, Dr. Chief was named American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Most Promising Scientist/Scholar, 2013 Stanford University Distinguished Alumni Scholar, 2015 Native American 40 under 40, 2016 AISES Professional of the Year, and 2016 Phoenix Indian Center Woman of the Year.

Degrees

• Ph.D. Hydrology and Water Resources
• University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States
• Soil air permeability and saturated hydraulic conductivity: Development of a soil corer air permeameter, post-fire soil physical changes, and 3D air flow model in anisotropic soils
• M.S. Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
• B.S. Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Stanford University, Stanford, Arizona, United States

Awards

• Tucson Local Genius Award
• Museum of Contemporary Art, Spring 2023
• Women of Discovery Award
• WINGS WorldQuest, Fall 2022
• Inaugural Women of Impact Award
• Office of Research , Innovation and Impact, University of Arizona, Spring 2022
• Women's Plaza of Honor Award
• Gender and Women’s Studies, University of Arizona, Spring 2022
• Haury Tribal Resilience Leadership Award
• Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social JusticeUniversity of Arizona, Fall 2021
• Facilitators' Award
• 2021 STEM for All Video Showcase, Spring 2021
• Public Choice Award
• 2021 STEM for All Video Showcase, Spring 2021
• Tribal Resilience Leadership Award
• Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice, University of Arizona, Spring 2021
• University Distinguished Outreach Faculty
• University of Arizona Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Spring 2021
• 2020 Ambassador Award
• American Geophysical Union, Fall 2020
• 2020 Fellow
• American Geophysical Union, Fall 2020
• 2020 Presenters’ Choice Award
• STEM for all Video Showcase, Spring 2020
• Area/Regional Impact Award
• National Indian Health Board, Fall 2019
• Friends of UCOWR Award
• University Council on Water Resources (UCOWR), Summer 2019
• 2018 National TRIO Achiever Award
• Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), Fall 2018
• 2017 Multi-Cultural Hall of Fame Inductee, Stanford University
• Stanford University, Fall 2017
• 2016 Professional of the Year
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society, Fall 2016
• 2016 Woman of the Year
• Phoenix Indian Center, Fall 2016
• 2015 Ely S. Parker Leadership Award Nominee
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society, Fall 2015 (Award Nominee)
• 2015 Faculty Fellow
• National Research Mentoring Network Grantwriting for Underrepresented Minorities Seminar: Help, Opportunity, Experience” (GUMSHOE) Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Washington State University, Fall 2015
• 2015 Grand Marshall
• Navajo Nation Fair and Parade, “Protecting Mother Earth for Future Generations.”, Fall 2015
• 2015 Native American 40 Under 40 Award
• The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, Fall 2015
• 2015 Special Contributions to Indian Education Award
• University of Arizona American Indian Alumni Club, Fall 2015
• 2015 Spirit of EAGLES Hampton Faculty Fellow
• Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fall 2015
• 2015 Summer Leadership Institute Fellow
• Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans, Summer 2015
• AISES Outstanding Sustainability/Environmental Program
• Associated Students of the University of Arizona (ASUA), Spring 2015
• Stanford University Distinguished Alumni Scholar
• Fall 2013