معرفی
Mel Fillmore (they/them/she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma (Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences). A citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Fillmore's research focuses on Indigenous policy, collaborative governance, and the intersection of sovereignty with data sovereignty. They hold a PhD in Public Policy and Administration from Boise State University (2024) and have conducted groundbreaking research on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) in Idaho.
- B.S. Political Science, International Relations (2009), Boise State University
- M.A. Political Science (2019), Boise State University
- Graduate Certificate, User Experience Research (2022), Department of Anthropology
- PhD, Public Policy and Administration (2024), Boise State University
Their work examines how US federalism transforms when tribes lead policy collaborations, particularly in MMIP initiatives. Fillmore's 2024 dissertation Redefining Missing in the Third Space of Sovereignty argues for Indigenous ancestral wisdom to reshape governance structures.
Key publications include:
- 2022: Elevating MMIP Efforts (The Blue Review)
- 2021: HCR33 Report on Idaho MMIP
- 2019: Decolonizing Urban Indian Institutions (Boise State Theses and Dissertations)
Honors include the Idaho HCR33 Research Contract, APSA Diversity and Inclusion Grant, and Center for the Study of Federalism Grant. Fillmore has presented extensively on Indigenous politics and MMIP at conferences and institutions, including the University of Oklahoma (2024), APSC (2023), and the 2nd Annual MMIW Conference (2023).
Fillmore previously taught courses on Indigenous methodologies and social change at Boise State University and worked as a data analyst for the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. They co-chaired the Inaugural Indigenous Politics, Sovereignty, and Governance Section of the Western Political Science Association (2024) and served on Boise State's Land Acknowledgment Committee (2023-2024).
