Join in photos Program Director for Fielding’s Ed.D. in Leadership for Change, Dr. Barbara Mink, as she travels to this year’s 54th Annual National Indian Education (NIEA) Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and then to the Navajo Nation in Window Rock, Arizona.
Dr. Barbara Mink at the Fielding Booth at NIEA Convention 2023 in Albuquerque, NM.
Dr. Barbara Mink at the Fielding Booth at NIEA Convention 2023 in Albuquerque, NM.
Barbara with current student Dezi Lynn
Barbara met with current and past Fielding students at the conference (Sanoe Marfil, Brenda Yazzie, Joseph Chee, Terry Curley, Dezi Lynn).
Barbara with current student Acinta Monteverde
Barbara invited all current students in New Mexico and the Eastern Arizona area offering to meet with her about their doctoral studies. Departing NIEA, she met with more students and alums who responded to her invitation. Photo is at lunch with current student Acinta Monteverde.
Window Rock, Arizona
After several meetings in New Mexico, Barbara drove to the headquarters of the Navajo Nation in Window Rock, Arizona where she continued working with current and potential Fielding students, alums and key Indigenous leaders.
Sign-in
She re-connected with Navajo Nation President Bu Nygren.
Receiving Commemorative Coin
President Bu Nygren presented Barbara with a specially minted presidential coin that is bestowed on dignitaries and friends of the Nation.
Commemorative Coin
A specially minted presidential coin that is bestowed on dignitaries and friends of the Nation.
The Future of Navajo Education
Barbara presented President Nygren with a copy of the Fielding University Press book, The Future of Navajo Education (edited by Barbara, Drs. Miranda Haskie and Kathy Tiner). Each chapter was written by a Navajo educator or leader.
Barbara and President Nygren
Barbara and President Nygren then discussed the development of a second edition of the book. President Nygren (who himself has an EdD degree) was excited about a second edition and volunteered to write a chapter for the new book.
Barbara, Rose Graham, President Nygren
The meeting concluded with Barbara and the head of the Navajo Nation Scholarship Office, Rose Graham, updating President Nygren on the range of research projects that Navajo educators and leaders are doing as part of their EdD studies at Fielding.
Welcome to the Department of Diné Education
Barbara then drove to the Department of Dine Education.
Navajo Scholarship Office
There she met with Maxine Damon of the Navajo Scholarship Office to review the scholarship status of Navajo students who are currently enrolled in the Fielding EdD degree.
Acting Superintendent of Navajo Schools
Barbara’s next meeting was with the Acting Superintendent of Navajo Schools, Claudia Edgewater-Russell. They discussed the scheduling of the 8th Annual Navajo Education Conference, co-sponsored by Fielding and the Navajo Nation, and how the Conference can be best be promoted to maximize attendance of Navajo educators and leaders.
Dr. Roessel and Dr. Guy
During lunch Barbara was also able to meet with the Presidents of Dine College (Dr. Charles Roessel) and Navajo Technical University (Dr. Elmer Guy). Dr. Guy’s wife, Martha Guy, recently received her EdD from Fielding.
Navajo Museum, Library & Visitor’s Center
The next stop was the Navajo Museum, Library and Visitor’s Center in Window Rock.
Museum Staff
Barbara worked with the Museum staff on details related to the scheduling of the 8th Annual Navajo Education Conference. This Conference is free of charge to all educators on the Nation and to all current Fielding students and alums. The next Conference is scheduled for June 7 and 8, 2024.
Diné College
Barbara then drove to the main campus of Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona. Many of the Fielding EdD Navajo students work at Dine College, the first Tribally-controlled college in the U.S.
At Diné College
At Diné College, Barbara met with current Fielding EdD students about their doctoral work. College leaders and potential Fielding students also attended. The Dean of the School of Diné Studies and Education, Rex Lee Jim, commented on the importance of the work that Fielding is doing through the EdD program. A goal of Diné College is to increase the number of faculty with doctoral degrees so that the college can move to university status and offer more masters level work. Dean Jim also asked about how best to support Navajo graduate students at Fielding.
Back Home Again in Austin, TX
Then it was back on the road for Barbara for the L-O-N-G drive back to her home in Austin, Texas where she will continue preparations for another Fielding in-person event. The next gathering of the School of Leadership Studies students, faculty and alums will be on the topic of “Advancing your Dissertation Work”. This session will take place on November 9,10, 11 in Austin, Texas.
About NIEA
The National Indian Education Association advances comprehensive, culture-based educational opportunities for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. The National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was formed in 1969 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by Native educators anxious to find solutions to improve the education system for Native children. The NIEA Convention was established to mark the beginning of a national forum for sharing and developing ideas and influencing federal policy.
NIEA adheres to the organization’s founding principles: 1) to bring Native educators together to explore ways to improve schools and the schooling of Native children; 2) to promote the maintenance and continued development of Native languages and cultures; and 3) to develop and implement strategies for influencing local, state, and federal policy and policymakers.
Based in Washington, D.C., NIEA is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors elected annually by the membership. Executive Director Diana Cournoyer, who reports to the board, leads NIEA’s dedicated staff of advocates.
About The Navajo Education Conference
The 8th Annual Navajo Education Conference is slated for June 7 and 8, 2024, at the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, Arizona. This conference is a joint effort between Fielding Graduate University, the Navajo Nation, the Navajo Nation Department of Diné Education, the Office of Navajo Scholarship and Financial Assistance (ONNSFA), and Navajo Nation Teacher Education Consortium.
Barbara Mink, Ed.D.
About Dr. Barbara Mink
Dr. Mink is the Program Director for the Ed.D. in Leadership for Change program at Fielding Graduate University. Since 1978, Dr. Mink has been a professor at the Fielding Graduate University. She teaches and supervises doctoral students in the areas of organizational change, management and leadership, and learning and motivation. Dr. Mink was the Dean (1997-2001) of the Human and Organization Program. She also served on the Board of Trustees of the Fielding Graduate University, where she was a member of the Board Executive Committee and was Chair, Board Committee on Diversity and Social Justice. Dr. Mink has also been a lecturer/clinical professor in the Department of Educational Administration at The University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Mink has over thirty-five years of international consulting experience in the areas of leadership development and the design and implementation of organizational change. She has worked with clients in the fields of manufacturing, health care, education, government, communications technology, and banking.
Dr. Mink’s honors include being elected to Pi Mu Epsilon (mathematics honorary) and the Board of Directors of the Human Resource Planning Society. She has been listed in Outstanding Educators of America, Who’s Who in American Women, and Who’s Who in the South and Southwest. She served on the Board of Trustees of the Texas Association of Community College Trustees and Administrators (TACCTA). She has also been President of TACCTA. She is currently on the Board of Directors of the Arc of the Capital Area. She is a life time member of the Austin Area Urban League and the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education.
Dr. Mink has also won poetry and creative writing awards in Texas writing competitions.
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