Dr. Guinn is Director of the Intertribal Research & Resource Center at UTTC. He has served as tribal college faculty, department chair, and center director for 21 years. Between July 2020 and July 2023, he was a rotator with the National Science Foundation (EES/EDU), serving programs including TCUP, HBCU-UP, BCSER, Understanding the Rules of Life, and ExpandAI. He holds a BS Biology (Bridgewater College), MS Biology (Western Illinois University), and PhD Zoology (North Dakota State University), and AA Native American Studies (Sitting Bull College).

His research interests include traditional animal food populations, ecology of seasonal color change, mosquito ecology, and impacts of undergraduate research experiences on student learning. A career focus has been on integrating research into STEM courses and programs. He manages grants from several agencies including NSF, USDA, DoEd, NIH, and DOE. His work has been recognized by national organizations such as AIHEC and The Wildlife Society. 

Emily Biggane, PhD is Research Faculty focusing her research on environmental exposures and cancer biology. Her work relies on cellular and molecular biology techniques along with genomic data science methods to better understand the mechanisms of environmental exposures and the potential transition of normal cell to cancer cell.

Dr. Biggane actively supports student research internships throughout the year to help students learn new techniques, build self-confidence and project ownership, and apply course concepts in an informal learning setting. She encourages students to embrace who they are and bring all of their experiences and perspectives with them to allow for a deeper connection to their research project. Her research experiences throughout her undergraduate education were driving forces in her pursuing an advanced degree and she strives to provide those same opportunities for her students. 

Kate Knoll (Gates) is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She serves as the Community STEM Outreach Coordinator at United Tribes Technical College and is dedicated to enhancing STEM engagement within Indigenous and local communities through hands-on programming, collaboration, and education. With a strong background in environmental science and field research including work with bat populations and studies of soil and plant health, Kate combines scientific expertise with community centered outreach. 

She is a former Doris Duke Conservation Scholar, L’SPACE Scholar, member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, and has participated in multiple NASA educational programs. Kate earned her bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Research from United Tribes Technical College in 2023. She currently resides in Bismarck with her family

Angie Eastman is an enrolled member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. She graduated from United Tribes Technical College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2024. In fall 2025, she is expected to complete her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Project Management from the University of Mary. As the Project Activities Coordinator, she is responsible for managing daily activities including program logistics, purchasing, and tracking of evaluation data associated with UTTC's ND EPSCoR projects. 

Other roles involve coordinating project activities, preparing detailed reports, assisting in the annual Tribal College Research Symposium, supporting IRRC staff, and assisting with outreach efforts to effectively engage the community. Additionally, the coordinator contributes to website development initiatives, ensuring that departmental information is clearly presented and accessible.   

Kianna Red Bird is the Laboratory Equipment Technician for our Intertribal Research & Resource Center at UTTC. She’s a recent graduate from the bachelor’s program in Environmental Science and Research from UTTC. As a student, she worked in the IRRC Research Lab as a student researcher working with ARID1A protein interactions in modified bladder cancer cells.

 Her research interests involve microbiology, cellular and genomic data, and technology. As she develops her career, she hopes to provide a comprehensive insight into all the machines and technology that the IRRC is involved with, along with keeping our machines running smoothly.