Ray Burns is the Tribal Partnerships Manager for the National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research in North Dakota (ND EPSCoR). Moreover, at the time that the conversation featured in this episode was recorded, Ray was the President of Leech Lake Tribal College in Cass Lake, MN.

I first met Ray 7 or 8 years ago when he served as the Director for the Native American Student Success Program at the University of Minnesota Morris. There are very few people I know who have as much senior leadership experience in Indigenous education or is as thoughtful about educational access as Ray. So, it brings me great joy to introduce you to him and share with you some of his experience in regards to tribal colleges and his insights about how higher-education might better serve Native American students.

Links: https://www.ndepscor.ndus.edu/

https://tribalcollegejournal.org/map-of-tribal-colleges/leech-lake-tribal-college/

https://students.morris.umn.edu/equity-diversity-intercultural-programs/pathways/native-american-student-success-program-nass