Cherylin Atcitty, Program Specialist Sr.
IRD welcomes Cherylin Atcitty as the new Program Specialist Sr. Cherylin is a member of the Navajo Nation from Bodaway-Gap Arizona and currently resides at Taos Pueblo in Northern New Mexico. She earned her high school diploma in Tuba City, Arizona where she helped in the with her family’s ranch consisting of horses, cattle, and sheep. Wanting to learn about management of natural resources, she began her college education.
Cherylin first completed her Associate of Science in Environmental Science from Coconino Community College in Flagstaff, Arizona. She then went on to complete her Bachelor of Science Degree from Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Biology and Chemistry. Not sure if she should continue in the animal science field, or move forward with environmental science, she took a job at a veterinary clinic with the Animal Health Commissioner of Texas. After a year she knew that she wanted to pursue environmental science. She was accepted into the graduate program at West Texas A&M with a focus on environmental science, where she graduated with a Master of Science. During her studies, she kept in contact with the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency and wrote her thesis on tropospheric ozone in the Four Corners region.
Cherylin had the opportunity to serve two internships with the Department of Energy. The first was with Sandia National Laboratory as part of the tribal energy internship program, exploring renewable energy on tribal lands. The second internship took place in Grand Junction, Colorado in the Office of Legacy Management studying the impacts of uranium mining and milling on tribal lands. As part of her job experience in natural resources, she assisted in the management of large-scale livestock operations in Kansas and gained experience in holistic management of agriculture and wildlife.
Professionally, Cherylin worked with the Pueblo of Laguna and Taos Pueblo in their respective Natural Resource Departments as part of the environmental staff. She conducted water quality monitoring studies, air quality reports and solid waste management. Next, she then began working as a math instructor with Taos Education and Career Center at UNM-Taos, helping students obtain their high school equivalency diploma and promoted continued higher education. Cherylin is now excited to be an Aggie at New Mexico State University as part of the Indian Resources Development team.
Dante Barton, Program Coordinator
