Michaela Paulette Shirley (she/her/hers)

PhD Candidate
University of New Mexico American Studies Department
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Michaela Paulette Shirley, MCRP, is from Kin Dah Lichii, Navajo Nation, Arizona. She is the daughter of Paul and Dolly Shirley. Michaela is currently a PhD Candidate in the American Studies Department at the University of New Mexico, proudly maintaining a 4.33 Cumulative GPA. She credits her incredible sources of support, love, and motivation to her family, friends, son Atlas Theo Chester Shirley, department faculty members Drs. Jennifer Denetdale, Michael Trujillo, and Alyosha Goldstein, colleagues, and Holy Ones. Before embarking on her PhD journey, she discovered her passion for Indigenous Planning and worked at the UNM's Indigenous Design and Planning Institute for a decade. Today, to complete her PhD, she has pivoted to work at Kansas State University's Center for Hazardous Substance Research as a Program Manager for the Tribal TAB Program. Outside of doctoral school work, professional job duties, academic writing and presenting, and serving in various capacities to promote Indigenous planning, design, and architecture, community development, BIPOC arts and culture organizations and artists, and knowledge systems, she loves spending time with her family and being in nature.

Disclosure information not submitted.

Presentation(s):

• Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Wisdom for a Sustainable Future

  Thursday, May 28, 2026
  1:30 PM - 2:15 PM CT