Dr. Antony Berthelote is the Co-Director of SLAWR REU and lead for program activities at Salish Kootenai College (SKC). He is a descendant of the Pend D’ Oreille, Salish, Kootenai, Lakota, and Chippewa Cree peoples. He holds a bachelor’s in geology, master’s in geophysics, and a PhD in geosciences.

Dr. Melissa A. Kenney is the Co-Director of the SLAWR REU program and lead for program activities at the University of Minnesota (UMN), both UMN-Twin Cities and UMN-Duluth. She is also the Director of Research and Knowledge Initiatives and a Principal Research Scientist in Environmental Decision Support Science at the Institute on the Environment (IonE) at UMN.

Dr. Diana Dalbotten is Co-Director of SLAWR REU and the Associate Director of Diversity and Broader Impacts for the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory. The focus of her scholarly engagement has been on broadening the participation of Native Americans in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Dr. Dalbotten has collaborated with tribes in Minnesota and nationally in support of this goal.

Cody Sifford is a member of the Navajo Tribe and a faculty instructor at Salish Kootenai College (SKC) in Western Montana, where he currently manages the GIS and UAV certificate program. His past research includes topics such as spatially modelling air quality and wildfire smoke plume trajectory. He received his bachelor’s degree in environmental science from SKC and master’s degree in forest resources from the University of Washington.

Cindy Harris, Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, Antony Berthelote, PhD at SKC, and Administrative Coordinator for team SPAW, is a key player in the college’s operations. Her expertise in scheduling, correspondence, project, and Native American STEM grant coordination makes her an invaluable asset to SKC’s senior leadership team.

Ella McClure is a Research Assistant for Knowledge Initiatives at the Institute on the Environment. Her role coordinates the systems, platforms, and resources that strengthen research project teamwork. They also do work engaging high school students in climate education and energy workforce opportunities. Ella graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2024 with a B.A. in anthropology and sustainability studies. 

Alanna Bailey is the Administrative Coordinator for Knowledge Initiatives at the Institute on the Environment. She provide programs and operations support to SLAWR REU. She refines systems, platforms, and resources to strengthen teamwork and organization-wide collaboration. She holds a B.S. in communication studies from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and is pursuing an MBA at the Carlson School of Management.

Andy Fondren is a project coordinator for the SLAWR REU program. They manage the SLAWR REU StoryMap, coordinate logistics, lead the Thursday professional development days, and manage day-to-day communication. Additionally, they work closely with the First, We Must Consider Manoomin Collaborative to coordinate logistics and help to manage the Team Big River – Manoomin group. In 2023, Andy graduated from St. Cloud State with a M.S. in biology, focusing on frog ecology. 

Ashley Bergman Humphrey serves as the communications specialist for IonE research projects. For SLAWR REU, Ashley provides communications support and helps students with photo compilation, website maintenance, and other communications products. Her professional experience includes supporting the communications team in the UMN Research and Innovation Office, helping plant pathologists amplify their research as a communications manager for the American Phytopathological Society’s publications department, and serving as the managing editor of a travel bookseller. She holds a B.A. in American studies from the University of Minnesota.