UMACS 2023 Conference
Taking Action Today: Voices, Resources, and Partnerships for Change
Thank you to all who attended and made the 2023 UMACS Conference a success!
September 22nd & September 23rd, 2023
University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 
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KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Megan Red Shirt-Shaw
Megan Red Shirt-Shaw (Oglala Lakota) is an inspiring educator, writer, and researcher in higher education. Passionate about Indigenous rights issues, college admissions, and greater Native presence in media and higher education, Megan believes in empowering young people to use their voices for the issues they care about in their communities.
Megan is currently the Director of Native Student Services at the University of South Dakota. She has held positions in undergraduate admissions, college counseling, and student advising at the University of Pennsylvania, Questbridge, Santa Clara University, Albuquerque Academy, and the 7th Gen Summer Program. She also was elected, in 2021, to serve a 7 year term on Harvard University's Board of Overseers, one of two governing bodies that plays an integral role in the governance of Harvard.
Megan is the author of the powerful policy paper, Beyond the Land Acknowledgement: College “LAND BACK” or Free Tuition for Native Students's. Her writings have also been featured on Huffington Post, ThinkProgress, Racialicious, Model View Culture, and Last Real Indians. She is the founder of Natives In America, an online literary publication for Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian youth.
Megan earned her Bachelor’s from the University of Pennsylvania in English and her Master's from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Higher Education where she was co-chair of FIERCE — Future Indigenous Educators Resisting Colonial Education. Megan is currently pursuing her PhD in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development with a focus on Higher Education and a minor in American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota.Her favorite phrase her mother ever taught her in Lakota is “Weksuye, Ciksuye, Miksuye” meaning “I remember, I remember you, Remember me.”
Megan Red Shirt-Shaw (Oglala Lakota) is an inspiring educator, writer, and researcher in higher education. Passionate about Indigenous rights issues, college admissions, and greater Native presence in media and higher education, Megan believes in empowering young people to use their voices for the issues they care about in their communities.
Megan is currently the Director of Native Student Services at the University of South Dakota. She has held positions in undergraduate admissions, college counseling, and student advising at the University of Pennsylvania, Questbridge, Santa Clara University, Albuquerque Academy, and the 7th Gen Summer Program. She also was elected, in 2021, to serve a 7 year term on Harvard University's Board of Overseers, one of two governing bodies that plays an integral role in the governance of Harvard.
Megan is the author of the powerful policy paper, Beyond the Land Acknowledgement: College “LAND BACK” or Free Tuition for Native Students's. Her writings have also been featured on Huffington Post, ThinkProgress, Racialicious, Model View Culture, and Last Real Indians. She is the founder of Natives In America, an online literary publication for Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian youth.
Megan earned her Bachelor’s from the University of Pennsylvania in English and her Master's from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Higher Education where she was co-chair of FIERCE — Future Indigenous Educators Resisting Colonial Education. Megan is currently pursuing her PhD in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development with a focus on Higher Education and a minor in American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota.Her favorite phrase her mother ever taught her in Lakota is “Weksuye, Ciksuye, Miksuye” meaning “I remember, I remember you, Remember me.”
Dr. Heidi Roop
Dr. Heidi Roop is the Director of the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership and an Assistant Professor of Climate Science and Extension Specialist at the University of Minnesota. Her research and Extension programs combine cutting-edge climate science and effective science communication to increase the use and integration of climate change information in decision-making at a range of scales—from city and state to national and international levels. Her climate science research takes her around the world from Antarctica to California to the shores of Lake Superior. Her recent science communication efforts were focused on her book, The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions for Everyone, which outlines in a highly visual format, everyday ways we can contribute to collective and individual climate solutions. In addition to her appointments at the University of Minnesota, she also is an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington and serves as expert advisor to a range of organizations and agencies as they seek to build resilience to climate change.
Dr. Heidi Roop is the Director of the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership and an Assistant Professor of Climate Science and Extension Specialist at the University of Minnesota. Her research and Extension programs combine cutting-edge climate science and effective science communication to increase the use and integration of climate change information in decision-making at a range of scales—from city and state to national and international levels. Her climate science research takes her around the world from Antarctica to California to the shores of Lake Superior. Her recent science communication efforts were focused on her book, The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions for Everyone, which outlines in a highly visual format, everyday ways we can contribute to collective and individual climate solutions. In addition to her appointments at the University of Minnesota, she also is an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington and serves as expert advisor to a range of organizations and agencies as they seek to build resilience to climate change.