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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE American Indian College Fund Announces 2009-10 Fellows in Andrew W. Mellon Career Enhancement Program Denver, Colo. (Nov. 12, 2009) - The American Indian College Fund named Diana Canku, Lynette Stein-Chandler and Russell Swagger as Mellon Fellows for academic year 2009-10 under The Andrew W. Mellon Career Enhancement Program. Fellows receive a $30,000 sabbatical fellowship with additional funding for research-related travel, with the purpose of increasing the intellectual capital, job satisfaction and retention among faculty at the 33 accredited tribal colleges and universities. The fellowship allows for release time from their usual duties to complete their dissertation for the doctorate. The program, which has been in existence since 2004, has funded 18 tribal college faculty Ph.D. candidates to date. Twelve have completed their degrees and four are continuing the process.
Canku’s dissertation is entitled, “The Impact of Earning a Degree at The Sisseton Wahpeton College (SWC).” Her research will focus on the Sisseton Wahpeton tribal members who have attained a degree from SWC and the effect it has had on the graduate personally and on the tribe as a whole. Canku says, “The proposed case study would provide information that could potentially be beneficial information for other tribes in the region because of the similarities between conditions on the various reservations and the similarities in reasons for founding tribal colleges.”
Russell’s dissertation is entitled, “Silent Killer: A study of job burnout in a postsecondary educational setting.” Russell says, “I have a personal and professional interest in this topic. Job stress can have direct major negative impacts on one’s physiological and psychological well-being in addition to an indirect negative impact on one’s family and associates. Tribal colleges experience these stressors and possibly at a greater level because of the characteristics of the students they serve and the ambiguous and tenuous nature of funding and staffing resources. About the American Indian College Fund With its credo “Educating the Mind and Spirit,” the Denver-based American Indian College Fund is the nation’s largest provider of private scholarships for American Indian students, providing more than 5,000 scholarships annually for students seeking to better their lives and communities through education at the nation’s 33 accredited tribal colleges and universities. For more information about the American Indian College Fund or to make a donation, visit www.collegefund.org. |
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Diana Canku is an enrolled member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribe of Sisseton, South Dakota. She was named as interim president of Sisseton Wahpeton College in October 2006 and served in that capacity until being selected for the position in December 2006. Prior to becoming the president of Sisseton Wahpeton College, Diana served as the Chief Administrative Officer and Vocational Education Program Director at the Sisseton Wahpeton College (SWC). Canku earned a bachelor’s degree in Management from the University of Minnesota-Morris, a master’s degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix, and is currently working on her dissertation for a Ph.D. in Organization and Management with Capella University. Her projected graduation date is 2010. She serves on the board of the North Dakota Association of Tribal Colleges, QEM, and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. 
Lynette Stein-Chandler is an enrolled member of the A’aninin (White Clay) tribe of Fort Belknap, Montana. Stein-Chandler is the founder and director of the White Clay Language Immersion School at Fort Belknap College. She has a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in Native American Studies both from Montana State University and has completed course work for a doctorate of education in educational leadership at the University of Montana. Stein-Chandler is also author of two chapters in a newly released book titled Indigenous Educational Models for Contemporary Practice, Volume II, which examines language revitalization, leadership and partnership. Stein-Chandler’s dissertation is titled, “A Qualitative Study of Tribal Colleges that Transitioned from Two-Year Associate Degree Granting Institutions to Four-Year Bachelor Degree Granting Institutions.” Stein-Chandler says, “The topic was chosen because it will directly benefit tribal colleges that would like to grow and expand their services to their communities. I believe this is the next important step for the tribal college movement.”
Russell Swagger is an enrolled member of the St. Croix Chippewa Band of Indians of Wisconsin. Swagger has served as the Vice President of Student & Campus Services at United Tribes Technical College for 11 years. He has also taught criminal justice, administration, and strategic planning and plans to use his degree to teach and conduct research. His has an associate of applied science degree in criminal justice from United Tribes Technical College; a bachelor’s of science degree in criminal justice from Minot State University and a master’s degree in management from the University of Mary. Russell is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Human Services at Capella University.