Dr. Melinda Adams, Assistant Professor at University of Kansas and Apache Environmental Scientist
Dr. Melinda Adams, an Apache (N’dee) Native American woman and faculty member at the University of Kansas, is currently researching plant and soil physical-chemical responses to cultural fire (using fire to manage the type and number of species in an ecosystem) including culturally significant plant yield, soil carbon storage, nutrient cycling, and water holding capacity. This work is ingrained in the place-specific land stewardship lessons of Indigenous cultural fire practitioner-partners. Broader implications of this research include deploying cultural fire as a climate adaptation strategy while mitigating the frequency and intensity of catastrophic wildfire in the West.
Dr. Adams received her Ph.D. from The University of California, Davis, and addressed the parallels of historical trauma to environmental distress by reconnecting her people to their traditional land stewardship practices.
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