A part of every National Conference that focuses attention on the important work of AISES is our collective pause to recognize extraordinary accomplishments of our members. Congratulations to all the 2018 award winners!
Ely S. Parker Award
The highest award bestowed by the AISES family, the Ely S. Parker Award was instituted to recognize outstanding achievement and innovative contributions in STEM fields, whether in the world of STEM education or in the workforce.
The 2018 winner is Cheryl McClellan, Sauk, an engineer and supplier quality specialist at The Boeing Company. McClellan has been finding her way around barriers since she was a student at the University of Oklahoma, when she became the first president of the AISES College Chapter. She has the distinction of having had two of the “founding fathers” of AISES, Andy Anderson and George Thomas, as her mentors. For the four decades following her graduation, McClellan has remained true both to her professional integrity and to her strong Native American heritage. Recognized with several prestigious professional awards, she has also served as Second Chief of the Sac and Fox Nation.
Long a supporter of the “art” in STEAM, McClellan believes in recognizing and promoting the innate creativity of Native people. Today she fosters her own creativity by sewing traditional clothing, featuring intricate beadwork, for both men and women. She appreciates her opportunity to be the first in her family to graduate from college and pays that accomplishment forward by mentoring pre-college and college students.
At every Closing Ceremony the winner of the highest AISES honor, the Ely S. Parker Award, is given an opportunity to address the membership. In accepting the award, the 2018 winner, Cheryl McClellan, reminisced about her experiences as a student member in the early days of AISES. She pointed out that the founders instituted elements like the Council of Elders and an enduring safe camp for all that would enable the organization to succeed and become what we see today. “I was the first student representative,” she said. “In 1979 the Board of Directors told us to dress up for the banquet. We wore our traditional clothing, but we were all dressed up with no place to go, so the next year the powwow was instituted.”
For McClellan, AISES gatherings are opportunities for mutual support, mentoring, networking, and inspiration that sustain individual members — the heart of the organization. In the spirit of thanking the countless mentors she’s met through those gatherings, she observed, “It’s AISES events, functions, and meetings that provide the basis for our strength.”
AISES Professional Awards
The prestigious Professional Awards recognize significant contributions Native people are making in the workplace. A selection committee comprising representatives from corporate, government, nonprofit, educational, foundation, and tribal AISES partners has the difficult task of choosing winners in the five award categories from among the many amazing nominees. Here are this year’s Professional Award winners.
Professional of the Year: Dr. Naomi Lee, Northern Arizona University
Technical Excellence: Nedlaya Francisco, IBM
Executive Excellence: Christopher Payne, The Boeing Company
Blazing Flame: Deanna Burgart, Indigenous Engineering Inclusion Inc.
Most Promising Engineer or Scientist: Joshua John, Raytheon
Partner Service Awards
Selected by the AISES staff, winners of the Partner Service Awards recognize people outside the organization who have gone above and beyond to support the AISES mission. Here are the 2018 winners.
Tribal Partner Service Award: San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
Foundation Partner Service Award: Jennifer Racho, Northwest Area Foundation
Educator Partner Service Award: Gail Ishimoto, Kamehameha Schools
Corporate Partner Service Award: Jodi DiLascio, BMM Testlabs
Government Partner Service Award: Wiley Jones, National Security Agency
Nonprofit Partner Service Award: Chris James, National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development
Special Service Award: Brian Vermillion, ver5design
Special Service Award: Cara A. Cowan Watts, Tulsa Pier Drilling
2018 Chapter Awards
Professional Chapter of the Year: Phoenix AISES
College Chapter Advisor of the Year: Alexa Azure, United Tribes Technical College
College Chapter Award for Recruitment and Retention: Northern Arizona University
College Chapter Award for Fundraising and Marketing: United Tribes Technical College
College Chapter Award for Professional and Chapter Development: University of Alaska Fairbanks
College Chapter Award for Outreach and Community Service: University of North Dakota
Stelvio J. Zanin Distinguished Chapter of the Year: University of Alaska Fairbanks
Student Research Awards
Congratulations to all the student research winners.
Pre-college Poster Presentations
- First Place: Nalani Miller
- Second Place: Jake Uyechi
- Third Place: Destiny Max
- Honorable Mention: Carina Tanaka
Undergraduate Poster Presentations
- First Place:Jade Morning Sky Little
- Second Place: Uriah Contreras
- Third Place: Karlee Cooper
- Honorable Mention: McKalee Steen & Kimberly Hernandez
Undergraduate Oral Presentations
- First Place: Serdjan Rolovic
- Second Place: Roberta Walker
- Third Place: Annalise Gutherie
- Honorable Mention: Kimberly Blevins
Graduate Poster Presentations
- First Place: Donna Lee Kuehu
- Second Place: Desirae Kissel
- Third Place: Michelle LaGarde
- Honorable Mention: Megan Dunn
Graduate Oral Presentations
- First Place: Ronalda Tsosie
- Second Place: Nathan Nakatsuka
- Third Place: Stephanie Cross
- Honorable Mention: Clark Rubel
