David Begay

David Begay, Ph.D. is currently Associate Research Professor with the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, in the College of Pharmacy, Community Environmental Health Program, working with several federally-funded health research projects. David is former adjunct faculty at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.  He is also a former professor and academic dean for Dine’ (Navajo Nation) College. He is currently VP for the Indigenous Education Institute, Friday Habor, WA. He has worked with National Science Foundation and other federal projects, including NASA, for 20 plus years, as well as JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and Goddard Space Flight Center on Heliophysics educational outreach. David is considered a tribal elder and provides cultural consultant services to many organizations and corporations both in the United States and internationally. He is raised with the deep cultural knowledge, tradition, and language of the Dine’ (Navajo) people.  He is a member of the Dine’ Hatallii (Spiritual and Herbal Healers) Association. David is a disabled combat Vietnam veteran. He is also currently a member of the Navajo Nation Human Research Review Board (IRB) appointed by the Navajo Nation Council.