Haskell University and EPA Renew Strategic Partnership
The Lawrence-based university and the EPA signed a five-year agreement to boost student opportunities and environmental research.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Native American
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Haskell Indian Nations University and the EPA signed a five-year memorandum of understanding in September 2026. This partnership aims to bridge historical opportunity gaps for students through increased engagement and research.
Why it matters
The agreement was established to dismantle systemic barriers that have hindered Haskell students from accessing professional environmental career pathways in the past.
The new five-year agreement continues a collaborative relationship that began in 1999, marking 25 years of partnership between the two organizations. Previous mentorship efforts successfully engaged 90 students, leading to seven federal internships.
The players
Haskell Indian Nations University
This is a tribal university located in Lawrence, Kansas, that serves students from federally recognized tribes across the United States.
EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency is the federal agency responsible for protecting human health and the environment.
The details
The EPA plans to support the university by hosting guest lectures and attending career fairs to foster tribal engagement and research. These initiatives are designed to directly connect students with federal internship and career pipelines.
Timeline
The partnership between the EPA and Haskell University began in 1999.
The previous memorandum of understanding was signed in October 2022.
The current five-year memorandum of understanding was signed in September 2026.
Culture Shift
This renewed partnership reflects a wider shift toward institutionalizing tribal representation within federal environmental agencies. It signals a move away from sporadic outreach toward long-term, structural integration of Native students into the national scientific workforce.
Students at the Lawrence campus can expect direct access to new career fair opportunities and guest speakers from federal environmental agencies. These resources aim to streamline the transition from academic research to professional roles within the government sector.
The takeaway
Students looking to enter the environmental field should proactively monitor university career center updates for upcoming EPA-led lectures. Leveraging these recurring partnership events can significantly improve access to federal internships and future job prospects.
Further reading
For more background on regional initiatives, visit the Native American section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Kansas Reflector.
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