Fellows come from all over the university, bringing their particular passions and living out the public purpose of their discipline through teaching and researching in, with and for community.
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The Charles Research Group is committed to “Community-Building through Computational Methods.” From the Southwest, Michael Charles is a Diné (Navajo) scholar who works with Indigenous communities across the world to better understand interactions and relationships between land, atmosphere, water, people and technology.

As an Engaged Faculty Fellow, Charles and his collaborators in the Southwest will be working on community-facing public reports around two topics: 1.) the health risks associated with air pollution in the mountainous topography of Utah, and 2.) anticipated mining expansion in the transition towards renewable energy and where subsurface minerals pose threats to Indigenous land stewardship. These reports will first be drafted in English and translated into Indigenous languages in collaboration with fluent speakers and knowledge holders from communities in the region. The content of these reports will include existing literature and summaries of ongoing projects in the Charles Research Group to build a foundation for long-term relationships between the research team and Tribal Nations.

Charles is a Diné (Navajo) scholar who collaborates extensively with Indigenous communities. He uses computational modeling to develop datasets and design frameworks that empower decision-making at community scales and highlight risks to vulnerable communities in the face of climate change and rapid technology transitions. His work addresses areas such as energy and food systems management, public health and ecosystem services, climate risks and vulnerability, and data sovereignty and research governance.