Our Alumni

The Bridges program has been funded by the National Institutes of Health for the past 20+years. During that time, the program has trained over 160 Haskell students. Many of those students have transitioned to KU or another four-year university to obtain their degree in a bioscience field.

Alumni of the Bridges program have successfully gone on to become employed in the bioscience field in jobs such as:

environmental health specialists
water quality specialists
educators
biotech researchers
engineers
tribal communities
government organizations (EPA, EG, BLM, USDA)
non-government organizations

They have also gone on to other programs such as:

PhD and MA programs in e.g. Molecular Biosciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Professional degree programs in nursing, medical school, dentistry, chiropractic
NIH-funded post-baccalaureate opportunities

Example stories of several recent alumni from our program are below.

Dorothea Summers

Dorothea Summers (Dori), Dine', is currently a graduate student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at KU focusing on grassland, soil and restoration ecology. While a Bridges scholar, Dori worked with Dr. Matt Gillispie in SPLH to focus on Developmental Disabilities and Services to Native American Communities in Kansas. She transitioned to the study of Plant-Soil Microbial Ecology in Dr. Peggy Shultz's lab. Dori was also instrumental in establishing a Monarch Butterfly way station on the Haskell Campus.

Dominique Lebeau

Dominique Lebeau (Dee Barton), Dine', entered Bridges seeking a research experience to qualify for a nursing degree. Dee worked in Dr. Brian Ackley's lab during her stint in Bridges and transferred to KU's School of Nursing to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Dee is currently employed at Haskell Indian Health Service serving the area Native American community.

Kynser Rae Wahwahsuck

Kynser Rae Wahwahsuck, Kickapoo, Shoshone, and Sac & Fox, serves Indian Country by working as a Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison for the Great Plains Tribal Water Alliance. She works to connect 32 federally recognized Tribal Nations to tools, information, and other resources for building resilience to anthropogenic climate change. Kynser worked with Dr. Amy Burgin, to study nitrogen cycling in headwater stream affected by land-use change.

Thaius Somchai Boyd

Thaius Somchai Boyd (Thai), Ohkay Owingeh, he completed his academic pursuit of a medical degree at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Thai was also awarded a Professional Science Master's Degree in Environmental Assessment from the KU Edwards Campus. He plans to use these degrees to address health disparities in Indian Country.

Mollie “Ahthawats'' Coffey

Through the Bridge program, I gained strong research and academic skills, needed to become a competitive applicant for either medical or graduate school.
I was able to learn about the scientific process, developing basic wet lab techniques, analyzing scientific literature, creating research posters, and confidently presenting my work at conferences. These experiences have had a lasting impact on my success beyond the program by helping me secure scholarships, grow as a researcher, and build meaningful connections with faculty and peers at KU and other institutions. Bridge truly laid the foundation for my continual academic and professional growth.

Seth Pua

Navajo Nation and from Lawrence KS, is a Junior at KU majoring in Mathematics. He is mentored by Dr. Folashade Agusto, associate professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and by Dr. Maria Orive, professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Seth's research utilizes mathematical modeling to investigate the relationship between fungal pathogens and invasive plant species.

Joshua Williams

from Wichita Kansas, of the Pawnee nation of Oklahoma. Is a Sophomore at Haskell Indian Nations University studying Environmental Science. Josh is mentored by Dr. Ben Sikes in microbial ecology with a focus on soil fungi and their use in ecosystem management . Josh is currently assisting with research that involves developing and studying a substrate that could be used to grow crops on the Moon or on Mars!