Diné College Faculty and Librarians Lead Talks at Tribal College Librarians Institute
TSAILE, Ariz. Diné College faculty and librarians delivered invited talks at the annual Tribal College Librarians Institute in Bozeman, Montana, on June 2. The talks shared how the college’s libraries support learning, research, and innovation across Tribal Colleges and Universities.
Dr. Oleksandr Makeyev, associate professor in the School of STEM and head of the Mathematics for Engineering Applications (MEA) Laboratory, presented with Darwyn Clyde Henderson, acting college librarian at the Kinyaa’áanii Charlie Benally Library. Their talk was titled “Recent Advances in Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property at Diné College.”
The talk highlighted major progress at the MEA Laboratory since 2023. That progress included a fourth National Science Foundation award of $200,000, the issuance of a second and third patents, and a fourth patent now pending. Diné College holds three of the first three patents ever issued to a Tribal College or University — a 100% success rate that exceeds the national average.
The patents focus on concentric-ring electrode technology, which improves the measurement and analysis of medical signals. Two graduate students also defended their master’s theses during this period. Each published multiple first-author research manuscripts, reflecting the lab’s commitment to developing the next generation of Diné scholars. The lab continues to offer tutoring for Diné College students and runs hands-on activities for local school students at STEM festivals across the region.
The presenters also described the college’s technology transfer center and maker space, both located inside the Kinyaa’áanii Charlie Benally Library on the Tsaile campus. The technology transfer center, housed in the library’s former audio/visual room, helps faculty protect and develop their innovations. The maker space, converted from the former periodicals room, supports hands-on experimentation and learning. Together, these facilities have made the library a true center of research, creativity, and opportunity for the Diné College community.
Rhiannon Sorrell, digital services librarian and adjunct faculty member in the School of Arts and Humanities, presented a talk titled “Tending the Fire: Credit-bearing information literacy class at Diné College in 3rd year.” Ms. Sorrell’s talk covered her LIB110 Foundations for Library Research course. It was the first credit-bearing information literacy course offered at any Tribal College or University. The course has filled every semester since it launched, including the section scheduled for the upcoming Fall.
This marked the second time both presenters appeared at the institute in three years. In 2023, Dr. Makeyev presented “The Diné College Library and Its Fruitful Relationship with Mathematics” with Dr. Herman A. Peterson, former college librarian. Ms. Sorrell presented “Beyond the Protocols & Acknowledgments: Ethical Collaborations.”
The 2023 talk traced a partnership between Diné College Libraries and School of STEM faculty that grew into something much larger. It began when the MEA Laboratory was established within the Tsaile campus library, providing students with a dedicated space for research and tutoring. Over time, that partnership led to the college’s first patents ever issued to a Tribal College or University, along with the creation of a technology transfer center — also housed in the library.
The talk showed how a research lab placed inside a library could grow into a model for innovation. Dr. Makeyev and Dr. Peterson encouraged other Tribal Colleges and Universities to consider building similar partnerships between their libraries and STEM faculty.
“We hope the lessons we have learned — on intellectual property, technology transfer, and building library-based innovation centers — can help other Tribal Colleges and Universities chart their own paths forward,” Dr. Makeyev said. “Diné College libraries have had the privilege of leading the way in these areas, and we believe the strongest outcomes come when we share what we know with the broader TCU community.”
Slides from Dr. Makeyev’s 2026 talk are available at http://mealab.dinecollege.edu/other/26_TCLI_final.pdf. Slides from his 2023 talk are available at http://mealab.dinecollege.edu/other/23_TCLI_final.pdf.
Diné College is the first tribally controlled and accredited collegiate institution in the United States. Founded to serve the Navajo Nation, the college integrates Diné values, language, and culture with rigorous academic study, preparing students to thrive in their communities and beyond. Through a commitment to student success, cultural identity, and lifelong learning, Diné College advances educational opportunity grounded in the principles of Sa’ąh Naagháí Bik’eh Hózhóón.
PHOTO: Oleksandr Makeyev, Ph.D. Associate Professor
School of STEM, Diné College
