Native American Institute

Urban Affairs

Michigan State University

 

NAI Staff

George L. Cornell, Ph.D.

Arnie Parish, M.A.

Mary Calcatera, B.A.

Michael Wigle, B.S.

Duferia White

NAI Hours

George L. Cornell, Ph.D

Director, Native American Institute (NAI), Center for Urban Affairs; Professor of History and American Studies; specialist in Native American history and contemporary affairs; extensive experience in public service to Indian organizations; current interests include expanding University services to Native American communities, conducting research on the American Indian as a conservationist, and studying the interpretation of Indian oral traditions. [email protected]

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Arnie Parish, M.A.

Specialist, Native American Institute (NAI), Center for Urban Affairs; research and academic interests lie in the area of American Indian student achievement K-12; responsible for providing technical and grant assistance to Native American communities upon request, in conjunction with other NAI staff members. Most recent activities have centered upon assistance with charter school applications and a descriptive study of the Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver Program.

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Mary Calcatera has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Michigan State University and is currently working on her Master's degree in Adult and Continuing Education. Mary is working 1/2 time as an administrative assistant to the director and continues to support American Indian initiatives on MSU's campus. She is now the interim director of the NOKOMIS LEARNING CENTER. Previous initiatives have included the development of the AANII Program and the Michigan Indian Leadership and Youth Retreat.

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Webmaster and specialist, Native American Institute (NAI). Mike received his B.S. in Biology (specialty in biophysics) from Wayne State University in 1996. He is planning on getting a Ph.D. in Theorectical Chemistry at MSU. Other interests: Drum and Bugle Corps (30 years), the Irish Feis (10Years), Michigan Indian Youth Retreat (MIYR), Michigan Indian Leadership Program (MILP), classical/jazz music, reading, movies, solving puzzles, surfing the web, and working with mathematics.

Secretary, Native American Institute (NAI), Center for Urban Affairs. Received Secretary training from Ross Business Institute and Michigan Medical Training Center. Interests include: Community Service - working with minority children in the Lansing Area. I am currently working with Parent Action Committee for Minority Academic Concerns (PAC-MAC), a group that works with the Lansing School District when there are problems or concerns with minority children or parents that need support. PAC-MAC was instrumental in getting Black History taught in the Lansing School District, Martin Luther King's birthday recognition as District Holiday, and worked with rewriting the Code of Conduct for the Lansing School District.

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