The external evaluation team, coordinated by Dr. Carol Ward, has worked for 25 years evaluating projects for UM and several Tribal Colleges in Montana and Nebraska. The team possesses experience in evaluating Indigenous STEM programs and has been trained in the Indigenous Evaluation Framework.

Carol Ward, Associate Professor at BYU

Carol Ward obtained bachelors and masters degrees in sociology from the University of North Texas and completed a PhD in sociology at the University of Chicago in 1992. Prior to her current sociology faculty position at Brigham Young University, Carol was a research and evaluation specialist for the Administration for Native Americans, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC and a faculty member at Chief Dull Knife College, tribal college of the Northern Cheyenne Nation. She currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on sociology of education, race and ethnic relations, qualitative research, and applied research methods.

Her research on American Indian education issues has been published in journal articles as well as the book, Native Americans in the School System: School, Community and Academic Achievement (2005). Current research projects focus on the effectiveness of tribal college and university STEM programs for Native students, rural and minority veteran access to healthcare, and the effectiveness of after school programs for at-risk students. She has worked with numerous tribal organizations on applied research and program evaluation projects since 1981.

Carol has been trained in the Indigenous Evaluation Framework (IEF) and has used it in a number of program evaluations and applied research projects for organizations involving Native American participants.

Bertie Brown, Co-Facilitator for N. Cheyenne Board of Health

Bertha Brown, a resident of Northern Cheyenne Reservation is an enrolled-member of Northern Arapaho and non-enrolled member of Northern Cheyenne. Bertha is currently self-employed as a Consultant providing grief/loss seminars, peer to peer in recovery, and Historical/Inter-generational Trauma Recovery.

Bertha received a B.A. in Organizational Management from Ashford University in 2009. She is on the IRB Committee at Chief Dull Knife College and has experience in Indigenous Research and Evaluation/Assessment. Bertha obtained an A.A. degree from Chief Dull Knife College in 1992. She is trained as a Peer to Peer Recovery Specialist, Community Resiliency/Trauma Resiliency Model, and Grief Recovery Specialist. In 2019 she trained in Brain Spotting.