NESI started at MIT, within the climate of the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholars Program under the leadership of Prof. Wesley Harris.
Since MIT hosted the first NESI Symposium of Tribal Leaders in 2012, there have been
three top goals for NESI MIT to grow a Native profesoriate :
1.) Build the MIT AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society) on campus,
to increase the opportunities for Native students to experiene success at MIT
2.) Create relationships with the local New England Tribal communities, so there is
power-sharing and science-sharing, and vertical integration of the pipeline
3.) Recruit Tribally Recognized scholars for the highly competitive MIT Summer Research
Program (MSRP), who can benefit from and be successful in the summer research
experience.
Since that time, we have seen a lot of growth! This year NESI MIT's portfolio growth is supported by the Dean of Science. Some of the portfolio building goals include projects between the MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Physics and the New England Tribes, including the Passamaquoddy Tribes, the Penobscot Tribe's Wabanaki WaYs Program, and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, in evolving partnerships with the MIT Energy Initiative and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Check back soon~ We're busy as the beavers~!!