MSW Student Mariah Brigman Wins Abstract Award at Conference

Congratulations to MSW student Mariah Brigman for winning the Native American/Indigenous Student Research Abstract Award at the National Diversity in STEM Conference in October 2023.  Mariah’s graduate poster presentation was titled “Effects of COVID-19 on Housing among American Indian/Alaska Native Adults” and featured in the Psychology and Social Sciences category. The conference was organized by the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).  On the impact of winning this award, Mariah states:

ʔa x̌əst sx̌lx̌alt (Hello, good day) The impact this award had on me was confidence in my work. I appreciate the recognition in the work so much. The work is important especially for Native people where there is such a huge lack of research, that I now feel more confident in my abilities and in furthering Indigenous research with all the support I received.

 

I remember first starting college where I already felt imposter syndrome coming from a rural reservation, I would do research projects for class and wanted to do my projects on Indigenous issues. I could never find any research on Indigenous people or anything and it felt very frustrating and insignificant as though us Native Americans didn’t exist anymore, and it did not help the imposter syndrome go away. But we are still here, and I really appreciate the support and recognition and furthering Indigenous research and it feels like such a huge accomplishment for us all.

 

This also helped open up doors in not only the research and academic world but in the career field as well and it’s such an honor. Lem’lemt (Thank you)