Turtle Mountain College

Turtle Mountain Community College Project Title: Advanced Synergistic Program for Indigenous Research in Engineering (ASPIRE) Project Description: Project Objectives Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC) and United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) Are Two Tribal College/universities (TCUS) Located in North Dakota (ND) and Form the Advanced Synergistic Program for Indigenous Research in Engineering (ASPIRE) Consortium. the Colleges Are in Relatively Close Proximity to Each Other Allowing for Better Collaboration and Sharing of Resources for the Benefit of Students. Aspire Will Capitalize on Partnerships With the Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Including the Kansas City National Security Campus, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories. Both TMCC and Uttc Are Currently Sub Participants in Year Three of an Msipp Consortium Led by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Focusing on Advanced Manufacturing. TMCC and Uttc Students Have Benefitted From Participation in This Advanced Manufacturing Effort. the Two Tcus Now Look to Establish an Msipp Tribal Education Partnership Program (TEPP) Effort to Extend That Benefit to Engineering Students by Enhancing the Pathway for Engineering as Well. This Aspire Project Directly Addresses the Objectives of the Msipp/tepp Program as It Relates to Engineering and the Nuclear Security Enterprise. Nnsa Strategic Vision’s Mission Priority #4 Is to Strengthen Key Science, Technology, and Engineering Capabilities. the Agency’s “ability to Recruit, Train, and Retain the Next Generation of World-class… Engineers… Is a Major Priority.” Aspire Will Assist the Nnsa Enterprise in These Important Endeavors by Expanding the Pathway of Qualified American Indian/alaskan Native/minority Engineers Who Go on to Join the Nnsa Enterprise Workforce.