MEET MOLITA YAZZIE THE FIRST HAURY NATIVE AMERICAN/ FIRST NATIONS OXFORD SCHOLAR

As the first recipient of the Haury Native American/First Nations Oxford Scholarship, Molita Yazzie will complete a one-year Master of Science in social anthropology at Linacre College, University of Oxford, in England starting in fall 2015. Diana Liverman is a fellow of Linacre College and, with matching funds from Oxford University, helped establish the scholarship for students interested in environment, anthropology, archaeology, refugees, migration, and governance. Yazzie grew up on the Navajo Nation in northeast Arizona, in a dirt-floor shack that had no electricity or running water. As a single mother, she worked fulltime to complete high school and college, earning an Associate of Arts from Scottsdale College and a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in Indian studies from Arizona State University. She also is poised to complete a Master of Administration in health science at Northern Arizona University. Throughout her education and career, Yazzie has focused on sociology and Indian studies, working directly with those in need by collecting data or evaluating social programs. “My life experience has stimulated my empathies and convinced me to help equalize society in whatever capacity that I am able to achieve,” she wrote. Through her research abroad, Yazzie hopes to share her knowledge to address complex societal issues in the Navajo and Hopi nations. Her goal is to localize services to improve research and evaluation of the needs of both communities.

MOLITA YAZZIE AT THE NAVAJO NATION AT CONTINENTAL DIVIDE, NEW MEXICO . PHOTO CREDIT: LEONARD JUDGE.