Alexandria  Sanchez,  a Native American student from the Northern Paiute Shoshone tribe,  graduated with  a  bachelor's degree  at the  University of Nevada, Reno  in  kinesiology this  May.  Sanchez will  continue  her studies in Reno and  is  starting  her  master's program in the fall.    

During her undergraduate  years, Sanchez took part in  the Nevada IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)  Tribal Academy of Health and Science. She was  one of the  initial  students in the program, which began  nearly  five  years ago.   

The NV INBRE Tribal Academy Medicine Bag Making Workshop with Joseph Cano from the Reno-Sparks Tribal Health Center in spring 2026. 

The Nevada INBRE Tribal Academy of Health and Science supports high school and college students pursuing education and careers in science and health fields. The program was shaped by Native American professionals in these fields and offers mentorship, academic  advising  and career exploration. 

“They offer a lot of academic guidance, especially to first-gen tribal students, or any other Native American students who have transferred from an all-Native college to this public school,” Sanchez, from McDermott, Nevada,  said.   

Students eligible for support include those on the Native American Fee Waiver pursuing any degree, with personalized guidance available through the Tribal Academy.  

“The INBRE  Tribal  Academy faculty have  been  really helpful  in ways that I didn’t even think I  needed,”  she  said.  “They were helpful in offering academic support and helping me find opportunities, whether it be internships, jobs or anything of that nature.”  

The  academy believes that Native American communities offer unique insights in the fields of health and science.   

“This program  definitely helped  me connect more culturally to the people in the area and other Native students; it offered a bigger support system and allowed me to have  more  people to rely on,”  Sanchez  said.  

Last spring, funding from the U.S. Economic  Development Administration awarded  to  the  Nevada Tech  Hub, enabled  the addition of three full-time coordinators and statewide program expansion, which is  planned for fall of 2026. These coordinators engage in personal meetings with students to ensure that they get the support they need.  

The NV INBRE Tribal Academy Budgeting Workshop with Great Basin Federal Credit Union in spring 2026.

"I never  realized  how many Native students are  actually enrolling;  with the  expansion, more  Native American  students will have access to resources and find opportunities that allows  them to work in their field or  major,”  Sanchez  said.  

After four years,  the  Tribal Academy  program  boasts a 96% retention rate.  

“Currently, my supervisor,  Andrew Tobey,  and I are doing  a research  report on the  cost of living  in the Reno-Sparks area,” she said. 

Tobey, Nevada INBRE Tribal Academy of Health  and  Science director and program founder,  grew up  on  the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation and currently resides on his family’s generational estate.  

“Alex was one of the first students to join the Tribal Academy, and she has been one of the top-performing students in the program,” Tobey said. “In addition to her academic excellence, Alex and I have had many conversations about what workforce development means to the tribal community and sovereignty. She is a dedicated student worker who started managing all Tribal Academy social media, assisting with administrative tasks, and has now been working with me on a multi-year study on the living costs for students in the Reno/Sparks area. Alex has served the Tribal Academy well, and I am looking forward to her continued effort in helping students more directly as a graduate assistant in the fall.”  

If you have any questions or would like to inquire about applying to the NV INBRE Tribal Academy of Health and Science, please reach out to the program staff at tribalacademy@unr.edu.