Karletta Chief

Karletta Chief (Diné) is an Assistant Professor and Specialist in Soil, Water, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Arizona. Her research focuses on understanding, tools, and predictions of watershed hydrology, unsaturated flow in arid environments, and how natural and human disturbances impact water resources. As an extension specialist, she works to bring relevant science to Native American communities in a culturally sensitive manner by providing hydrology expertise, transferring knowledge, assessing information needs, and developing applied science projects. Chief received a B.S. and M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University in 1998 and 2000 and a Ph.D. in Hydrology and Water Resources at the University of Arizona in 2007. She completed her post-doctorate at Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas, NV. In 2011, Chief was named AISES Most Promising Scientist or Scholar, 2013 Stanford University Distinguished Alumni Scholar award, and 2015 Native American 40 under 40.