SIPI

WASHINGTON – A team comprised of Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) students won the grand prize of $5,000 and the a Gold Mars Trophy for the physical competition at the 2017 NASASwarmathon held at the Kennedy Space Center. The Swarmathon is a robotics programming challenge administered under a cooperative agreement between the NASA Minority University Research and Education Program and The University of New Mexico. More than 500 students from 40 colleges and 30 high schools participated in the competition held on April 18-20.

"Well done to the brilliant students at SIPI. These young people are breaking new ground and making everyone proud,” said Secretary Ryan Zinke. “I look forward to following their budding careers in STEM and expect them all to make an impact."

This year, Swarmathon teams competing in the physical competition were tasked to develop codes for operating systems that instruct robots to find objects and return them to a designated place without human assistance. Teams created innovative algorithms that have the potential to be further developed for such tasks as cleaning hazardous waste as well as assisting with rescue missions during catastrophic disasters.

“Placing at the top of the 2017 NASA Swarmathon is an outstanding achievement for the students on the team, the SIPI faculty and students, and the Bureau of Indian Education,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Michael S. Black. “These students exemplify how dedication to studies can translate into real life success.”

“The post-secondary schools under the Bureau of Indian Education offer a great education,” said Bureau of Indian Education Director Tony Dearman. “We at the BIE are enormously proud of the SIPI team for successfully tackling these challenges and showing the excellent education SIPI has to offer the students of Indian Country.”

The 2017 Swarmathon SIPI team consisted of Schulte Cooke, a member of the Navajo Nation and studying Geospatial Information Technology; Emery Sutherland, a member of the Navajo Nation and studying Computer Aided Drafting and Design; Christian Martinez, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna studying Network Management; Ty Shurley, a member of the Navajo Nation and studying Engineering and Computer Aided Drafting and Design; Professor Nader Vadiee and Dr. Johathan west, the team’s faculty advisors. Professor Nader Vadiee is the lead faculty/coordinator of the Engineering and Engineering Technology Programs and the director of the Intelligent Cooperative Multi-Agent Robotic System at SIPI.

SIPI has a history of success at the Swarmathon, placing third in last year’s physical competition. Established in 1971, SIPI is an accredited National Indian Community College and Land Grant institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. SIPI is one of two post-secondary institutions overseen by the Bureau of Indian Education.

###

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) is proud to announce that Christopher Harrington, a member of the Comanche Nation in Oklahoma and a SIPI staff member, has been selected to receive a J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship grant to Pakistan. Harrington is the chairperson of the Department of Liberal Arts and Business Education. He was selected by the presidentially appointed 12-member J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Under the program, Harrington will share his knowledge of Indian law, Native American communities and the higher education system with colleagues in Pakistan.

“Being awarded the 2018-2019 Fulbright Foreign Scholarship grant is such a tremendous honor,” said Harrington. “I am so humbled and excited to be representing not only the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute and the people of the United States, but the Comanche Nation, as well, to the people of Pakistan. My hope is that this experience will give me, SIPI students, and the students and people of Pakistan a better understanding of each other’s culture in the hopes of building a stronger relationship between the two countries and our indigenous populations.”

“To have a staff member selected for this noteworthy international award is an honor and speaks to the high quality staff among our faculty,” said SIPI President Dr. Sherry Allison. “We are looking forward to his return to the SIPI campus, when he will bring back to us a deeper and richer understanding of the people of Pakistan while helping us to build a stronger relationship with the J. William Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program to access other resources for SIPI.”

“I want to congratulate Mr. Harrington on his selection,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs John Tahsuda. “He is joining the ranks of previous distinguished participants, and exemplifies the excellence and leadership of SIPI’s staff that will allow him to share his unique professional knowledge and experiences abroad.”

“This is a remarkable opportunity to be able to study, teach and conduct research internationally,” said Bureau of Indian Education Director Tony L. Dearman. “This highly competitive program and selection of Mr. Harrington, speaks to the depth and breadth of SIPI’s staff, and their passion to reach out beyond the classroom and make a difference on a global scale.”

The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Program, which aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. Fulbright alumni have become heads of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, CEOs and university presidents, as well as leading journalists, artists, scientists and teachers. They include 59 Nobel Laureates, 82 Pulitzer Prize winners 71 MacArthur Fellows, 16 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients and thousands of leaders across the private, public and non-profit sectors, since its inception in 1946, more than 380,000 “Fulbrighters” have participated in the Program.

The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs supports the Secretary of the Interior in carrying out the Department’s responsibilities to the federally recognized tribes through BIA and BIE programs and services. The BIA’s mission includes developing and protecting Indian trust lands and natural and energy resources; supporting social welfare, public safety and justice in tribal communities; and promoting tribal self-determination and self-governance. For more information, visit the Indian Affairs website.

SIPI is one of two colleges and universities operated by BIE; the other is Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas. The BIE also administers grants for more than thirty tribally controlled colleges and universities and provides higher education scholarships to Native youth. The BIE also implements federal Indian education programs and funds 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools located on 64 reservations in 23 states and peripheral dormitories serving more than 48,000 students. For more information, visit the BIE website.

SIPI is a 1994 land-grant college preparing students from 16 states to be life-long learners through partnerships with tribes and other organizations. For more information, visit the SIPI website.

###