Staff

Cristina Rivera Carpenter earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at South Dakota State University, Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Arizona, and PhD in Nursing with an American Indian Studies minor at the University of Arizona. She is a HEAL alumnus (Navajo Nation Site Fellow at Tséhootsooí Medical Center, 2016-18), a Robert Wood Johnson Future of Nursing Scholar, and a 2018 American Indian Research Center for Health (AIRCH) fellow at the University of Arizona. She has also worked as the Program Coordinator for Northern Arizona University's American Indian Nursing Program, and continues to work clinically. Her Nursing experience is in rural health, primarily in Indigenous health and in inpatient settings, and she has been certified in Medical-Surgical Nursing and Gerontological Nursing. Her interests are in wellness and cultural determinants of health for Indigenous Peoples, the decolonization of healthcare, wellness, and education, and the centering of Indigenous Knowledge systems. Cristina is passionate about addressing health inequities in local and global settings with foci on community and solidarity, and supporting current and future health professionals in pursuing equity-focused careers