From Crownpoint to Harvard: Navajo graduate leads by serving

GALLUP, N.M. (AP) — Robinson Tom was an environmental science student at Navajo Technical University when he was assigned in 2014 to compare microorganisms that could survive in the harsh environment of Mars.

The red planet is 50 million miles farther away from the Sun than Earth, which means it gets a lot less sunlight and temperatures average minus 81 degrees Fahrenheit.

“It sounds like a simple assignment, but I started getting into the research of soil content, atmosphere content, and which organisms could survive in very cold temperatures,” Tom told the Gallup Independent during a recent interview. “Because of that assignment, I found out that I enjoyed biology and chemistry a lot more.”

That early assignment eventually changed the course of Tom’s life. It opened the door to an exciting career in the science field that has taken him to Boston, Massachusetts, where he now conducts research at Harvard University.

___

Building BICEPS

Tom, who grew up in the Navajo Nation community of Little Water, changed majors in 2014. He was one of the first students to enroll in the then-newly created Biology Department at Navajo Tech. At the time, he was the only one in his cohort because he was already ahead of the group.

“I had to rely on myself because I had no students to look up to,” Tom said. “I had to be that student.”

Tom said he was aware there was no science culture in the region. He believed more young Navajos could follow on a scientific path if they had a niche and a support group. So he founded BICEPS, a student organization to help others with similar interests. BICEPS stands for biology, chemistry and environmental physics.

Through BICEPS, they were able to secure internships, conduct science demonstrations at local K-12 schools and build...