Nieves Vázquez

“Reciprocity in Analysis: Science Communication in Soil and Water Quality Research”

Nieves Vázquez is compiling a resource repository that encompasses a science communication toolkit for the Nìhì Lab, the first Indigenous-led ChEE lab, in partnership with the Indigenous Resilience Center (IRes). The Nìhì Lab’s research emphasizes environmental restoration in Native communities affected by decreased water quality, mining, wildfires, and contaminated ecosystems, while also upholding Indigenous values like reciprocity, respect, and data sovereignty. The commitment to ensuring equitable and accessible science communication includes communities, students, and researchers.

The Nìhì Lab and IRes focus on environmental resilience through upholding a community’s ecological knowledge and how academic research can support local science - not replace it. Nieves is uniquely positioned to bridge the information access gap between Tribal communities and biogeochemical research by expanding the definition of science communication for resilient communities.

The online repository will serve as a foundation for the sustainable involvement of community, students, and researchers for the lab’s future.