Opportunities

Integrated Data Visualization Core

Abstract. The Southwest Center on Resilience for Climate change and Health (SCORCH) will bring together transdisciplinary research groups to conduct solutions-oriented team-science projects responsive to the health needs of arid lands communities adapting to climate change. The Integrated Data Visualization Core (IDVC) supports the overall Center mission through the provision of data science, visualization, and management expertise. The IDVC structure is organized around three services providing 1) data management, sharing, and analyses support, congruent with scientific data management and stewardship best practices; 2) data visualization; and 3) training and workshop opportunities to develop and enhance team member and partner capacity to manage and visualize integrated health and climate data. Coordinating with the Administrative and Community Engagement Cores, the expertise and technical support offered through the IDVC will enhance institutional capacity to conduct climate change and health research tailored to the needs of Arid Lands communities.

Open Positions

• Data Manager (jointly funded with Climate Resilience through Indigenous Co-Design at the Food, Energy, and Water Nexus). Responsibilities – Provide reproducible statistical scripts using SAS/R, and will streamline the data quality control, pre-processing, summary statistic report and data visualization that better support the research projects and communication of the report back to the community. Work with the team to compile existing public datasets and develop web-based tools.
• Program coordinator. Provide support for administrative and programmatic tasks.

Abstract. Residents of sovereign, Indigenous Nations intrinsically hold deep connections to their land, culture, and community, which positively affects Indigenous health and well-being. However, Indigenous health is diminished by multi-level structural factors that manifest in numerous ways including indoor environmental exposures; persistent fall injury hazards in the home needing repair/modification; and limited access to culturally competent medical specialists. A team led by the federally-designated Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (AASTEC), in partnership with the University of New Mexico and University of Arizona, proposes a multi-part intervention to enhance the home environment and Indigenous health. This novel program will incorporate community-based participatory research principles with an approach that centers Indigenous methodologies to promote Indigenous health across the societal, community, household and individual levels. A housing repair voucher program (primary intervention) will be informed by home and participant assessments, and partnered with clinical training and referral protocol development, tribal public health workforce development and capacity- building, and a multi-sectoral Healthy Tribal Homes Coalition. Creating an adaptable framework that centers upon community values to address simultaneously environmental exposures, fall injury risk, daily stressors, and respiratory health (emphasizing asthma) will increase quality of life for participants, their families, and community. This project will yield a template and set of best practices that other Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities may adapt to address their health priorities in a manner centered upon their values and identity.

Open Positions

• Graduate Research Assistant. Responsibilities – Assist Dr. Hoover with the geospatial and environmental science focused research aims. This may include co-developing community engagement activities and outreach with the project leadership team; designing educational materials for the project; protocol development and refinement for environmental sampling and geospatial data collection; and supporting pilot testing initiatives during the second year of Phase 1.

This project has 2 goals: the first is a short-term focus on building capacity for the Indigenous Resilience Center and developing trust-based relationships with Indigenous Peoples; the second goal is to sustain current people and deepen and expand key Indigenous community-based programs including:

• Indigenous Food, Energy and Water Security and Sovereignty;
• Native FEWS Alliance;
• IndigeSEEDS; and
• Indigenous Mapping and Data

Open Positions

• Graduate Research Assistant. Responsibilities –