First Lakota to earn a doctorate degree in environmental engineering
Otakuye Conroy-Ben (Oglala Sioux) is the oldest of five children born to Vina and Arlo Conroy, and is originally from Porcupine, South Dakota.
Otakuye Conroy-Ben (Oglala Sioux) is the oldest of five children born to Vina and Arlo Conroy, and is originally from Porcupine, South Dakota. Located in Shannon County, the third poorest county in the United States. It is where Dr. Conroy-Ben lived for the first five years of her life in a small one-room house that had electricity but no indoor plumbing. Her Lakota name, Titakuye Ota Win (Many Relatives Woman) was given her by her grandmother.
Because her parents were among the roughly 80 percent on the reservation who were unemployed, they moved to Rapid City where both found work at Indian Health Services.
In spite of their circumstances, Vina and Arlo Conroy always valued and encouraged education for their children. Both had taken college courses, and although neither had earned an undergraduate degree, they knew that higher education would prepare their children for opportunities to succeed.
Always taught to be proud of her heritage, close cultural ties to Otake's community were forged at an early age when she began Fancy Shawl dancing at age four. As a teen, she developed a passion for acting and appeared in several American Indian-themed movies.
In Dances With Wolves she played Kicking Bird's daughter. She was Mary in Miracle in the Wilderness, and an extra in both Thunderheart and Lakota Woman.
She appeared in several local television and radio commercials and was a model for the calendar, Runway Beauty Native America. Intellectually bright as well as attractive, she also represented the Lakota of the Black Hills as He Sapa Win (Miss Black Hills Nation).
Always a "math whiz", she graduated from Rapid City Central High School in 1994. After she received a scholarship to Notre Dame, the pageants and her acting career were placed on hold.
When she received her bachelor's degree in chemistry, she became the first in her family to earn an undergraduate degree. Her M.A. in analytical chemistry, M.S., and Ph.d in environmental engineering were both earned from the University of Arizona.
For her outstanding achievements as a Ph.D. student, she received the University of Arizona's Centennial Achievement Graduate Award. The honor is given to students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented, have excelled academically, and contributed to their family and community.
The award also included a $500 cash prize from the university's Division of Campus Life and the University of Arizona Graduate College. She was awarded an engraved plaque from the university's Alumni Association.
After completing a post-doctoral appointment in chemistry and biochemistry (also at the University of Arizona) Dr. Conroy-Ben accepted a tenure-track faculty position in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
She is a registered professional engineer in the state of Utah, is one of only a handful of American Indian professors in engineering in the United States, and is believed to be the first Native American female engineering professor.
Dr. Conroy-Ben has worked on projects with Chemical and Environmental Engineering Professor Robert Arnold. Her work is also part of a study to determine how wastewater can be recycled and reused to address future water shortages.
Because the female hormone estrogen is found in both groundwater and soils affected by wastewater in degrees that can harm humans, her interest extends to future challenges of the regulation and removal of such from water supplies.
In 2009 she was elected secretary of the Board of Directors for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES). She is also a founding member of the Indigenous Women in Science Network, whose vision statement includes honoring the wisdom of the elders while integrating cultural values with science to achieve harmony and balance for all generations.
Also a keynote speaker, Dr. Conroy-Ben has delivered presentations on a variety of subjects at venues that include the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Conference; Stanford University; South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, Region V.
She has been twice-featured in Winds of Change, an American Indian-published nationally distributed full-color magazine with a focus on educational and career advancement for Native peoples.
Dr. Otakuye Conroy-Ben is married to Colin Ben (Navajo), and they are the proud parents of a beautiful girl. They reside in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Sources:
American Indian Science and Engineering Society, Otakuye Conroy-Ben
Conroy-Ben, Otakuye, Submitted biography
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Utah, Otakuye Conroy-Ben
Faculty Profiles, University of Utah, the, Otakuye Conroy-Ben
Garrigan, Mary, Journal Staff Writer, Rapid City Journal, Native Intelligence: Otakuye Conroy will become the first Lakota to earn a doctorate degree in environmental engineering, March 25, 2006
KB Schaller (Cherokee/Seminole heritage) is a journalist, novelist, and historical researcher. A version of the above article appears in 100+ Native American Women Who Changed the World, winner of a 2014 International Book Award, Women's Issues category, and other honors. Her debut novel, Gray Rainbow Journey, is winner of a National Best Books Award, Multicultural Fiction category, and other distinctions. Schaller is also author of the sequel, Journey by the Sackcloth Moon. Schaller's books are available through Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, and other bookstores. She lives in South Florida. Email: soaring-eagles@msn.com http://www.KBSchaller.com
