The official biography below was current at the time of the award. See the organization's website for its latest information.

Since its establishment in 1974, the Indian Natural Resource, Science and Engineering Program (INRSEP) at Humboldt State University has trained about 40 percent of the nation's natural resource professionals of Native American descent. The underlying philosophy at INRSEP is to maintain a strong academic program which is intrinsically linked to Native American cultural perspectives. Services provided include academic advising and advocacy, personal and cultural counseling, tutorials, cooperative education and internships. Students are also provided guidance in balancing Western science with traditional holistic beliefs. Thirty-one INRSEP students graduated in the sciences over the past three years. The program currently enrolls 43 students from 27 tribal entities.