Dr. Tarissa Spoonhunter

Formerly an associate professor at Central Wyoming College (CWC) Dr. Spoonhunter earned her masters and doctoral degrees from the University of Arizona. She is an experienced scholar in American Indian studies who grew up on Montana’s Blackfeet Indian Reservation and worked for nearly a decade on Wyoming’s Wind River Indian Reservation. As Director of HPAIRI, she initiates, fosters and facilitates research partnerships between the University of Wyoming and the Wind River tribes. Spoonhunter has a primary faculty appointment at UW’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, and a secondary appointment in the university's College of Arts and Sciences. As a faculty member at the Haub School, Dr. Spoonhunter teaches, conducts research and engages with stakeholders to advance understanding of complex environmental and natural resource challenges. She has deep experience in tribal resource management, traditional ecological knowledge and interdisciplinary approaches, and offers critical learning opportunities for Haub School and UW students.