Lawrence University Appointed Indigenous Scholar

A $500,000 grant funded a three-year faculty exchange program with the College of Menominee Nation.

Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Native American

Gouache-painted illustration of a small sapling growing from antique journals, representing academic and indigenous knowledge exchange. — Lawrence University appointed Justin Eagle Gauthier as an Indigenous Studies Scholar-in-Residence, supported by a $500,000 grant for collaborative research. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should your local college prioritize building formal partnerships with nearby tribal institutions?

Lawrence University hired Justin Eagle Gauthier as an Indigenous Studies Scholar-in-Residence in 2026. The appointment is part of a three-year collaboration funded by a $500,000 Mellon Grant.

Why it matters

The grant facilitates research and interactive courses through a partnership between Lawrence University and the College of Menominee Nation. This collaboration supports a faculty exchange program designed to enhance academic offerings at both institutions.

The $500,000 Mellon Grant funds a three-year partnership between Lawrence University and the College of Menominee Nation. Justin Eagle Gauthier is scheduled to remain in his residence through September 2028.

The players

Justin Eagle Gauthier

He is the Indigenous Studies Scholar-in-Residence at Lawrence University who holds degrees from the College of Menominee Nation and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Lawrence University

It is a private liberal arts college in Appleton that is hosting the three-year residency and participating in a faculty exchange program.

College of Menominee Nation

This is a tribal college that is partnering with Lawrence University to provide research opportunities and interactive courses.

The details

Justin Eagle Gauthier holds two associate degrees from the College of Menominee Nation, a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts. He is currently co-teaching Indigenous Ecology: Ancestral Knowledges and Science in Action at Lawrence University.

October 10, 2026: Justin Eagle Gauthier delivered his Indigenous Peoples' Day keynote speech.
Winter Term 2027: Gauthier will co-teach the course Ecocinema.
Spring Term 2027: Gauthier will teach the Environmental Humanities and Art course.
September 2028: The residency concludes at the end of the three-year term.

Roadmap

This appointment reflects a broader trend of integrating Indigenous knowledge into traditional liberal arts curricula through institutional partnerships. The residency follows a pattern set by the Mellon Foundation's Higher Learning program by funding humanities-focused faculty collaborations.

Students at Lawrence University can enroll in specialized courses co-taught by Gauthier during the upcoming winter and spring terms. Community members may attend future academic programming related to the ongoing faculty exchange between the two partner institutions.

The takeaway

The partnership demonstrates how external grant funding can successfully bridge gaps between diverse academic institutions. Students benefit from the integration of traditional ecological knowledge and standard academic curricula.