Tribal Relations Advisory Group (TRAG)

Here’s a comprehensive look at University of Idaho’s Tribal Relations Advisory Group (TRAG) members who actively engage with the Office of Tribal Relations (OTR) and MOU tribes. These individuals play a critical role in presenting research, fostering student engagement, sharing scholarship information and improving retention and success for Native American students.

University of Idaho TRAG Members

1. Dr. Vanessa Anthony-Stevens – Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, Health and Human Sciences
   • Indigenous Knowledge for Effective Education (IKEEP)
   • Center for Interdisciplinary Indigenous Research and Education (CIIRE)
2. Dr. Dianne Baumann – Assistant Professor, Culture, Society and Justice, College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences
   • American Indians/Native American, Race/Ethnicity, Social Change and Justice
   • Cultural Anthropology, Human Rights
3. Dr. Shawna Campbell-Daniels – IKEEP Project Director, Assistant Clinical Professor
   • Indigenous Knowledge for Effective Education
4. 4. Leanna Dann – TRiO McNair Achievement Director
   • Works with low-income, first generation and underrepresented scholars in graduate research-based studies
5. Lance Dick – Tribal Nations Student Affairs Recruitment Specialist
   • Role is to enhance enrollment, retention and overall student success
6. Dr. Chris Hamilton – Assistant Professor of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology
   • Engages through research presentations on environmental and scientific topics
   • Support Native students interested in STEM fields
7. Dr. Dylan Hedden-Nicely – Professor of Law/Native American Law
   • Sharing Native American law resources and promote Native student involvement in law programs
8. Dakota Kidder – Tribal Nations Student Affairs Program Coordinator
   • Responsible for designing, developing and implementing culturally responsive programming
   • Ensuring Native American students have success to the tools, mentorship and opportunities needed to thrive academically and personally at U of I
9. Steve Martin – Tribal Nations Student Affairs Director
   • Leads initiatives in partnerships, focusing on building relationships with MOU tribes and enhancing Native student retention through culturally supportive programming
10. Sarah Penney – Idaho EPSCoR Outreach and Communication Coordinator
    • Scholarship opportunities, student performance and retention support for Native American students
11. Shanny Spang-Gion – Visiting Tribal Scholar, College of Natural Resources
    • Biological Resilience for Indigenous Systems Empowerment (BioRISE)
12. Dr. Philip Stevens – Associate Professor of Anthropology, Director of American Indian Studies
    • Engage with Indigenous knowledge and culture as dynamic, vibrant, diverse, place-based and resilient

These advisors maintain close partnerships with the Office of Tribal Relations and MOU tribes, ensuring a holistic approach to supporting Native American students. Through these efforts, they aim to improve student recruitment, retention and academic success while fostering strong, culturally aware relationships with tribal communities.