Erica A. Scott ’06 won a first place award for her research on new approaches to understanding alcoholism in Native American communities at a national American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) conference last weekend.

Scott, who was supported by the newly formed Harvard Chapter of AISES, said she was very pleased to win the award and plans to use her findings to formulate a senior thesis topic.

“I was initially just so surprised and excited,” said Scott, who spent the summer doing research among Native Americans in Oklahoma by means of the Mellon Foundation grant.

Scott said that the AISES award was particularly meaningful because Harvard has a comparatively lower representation of Native Americans in comparison to other colleges.

Currently the Harvard chapter of AISES only has eight members.

“[Scott’s] success will really do a lot to strengthen the presence of AISES on campus.” said Lee Bitsoi, AISES’ faculty advisor. Bitsoi said that the group’s development this year is due in large part to the dedication shown by Scott and Elijah M. Hutchinson ’06, who helped found the group.

According to Bitsoi, AISES is a professional development group that provides students with a chance to tap into networks and make connections with competitive companies. It is open to all undergraduates and includes a social science dimension in addition to its engineering and science focus.

The conference, which has been running for 27 years, was specifically geared toward fostering Native American interest in the sciences and engineering.

The theme of the event—“Pathways to Stronger Communities”—correlated well with Scott’s research, which focused on new approaches to understanding and treating alcoholism among Native American communities.

Scott, an anthropology concentrator, gave a three part lecture that consisted of a discussion of common myths about alcoholism in the American Indian community, an analysis of popular treatment methods for the group, and recommendations for a holistic approach to treatment.

The presentation was based on ethnographic research and a review of relevant literature, which she had already conducted in preparation for her senior thesis.

Assistant Professor of History Malinda M. Lowery called AISES a “main vehicle that Native people have to network and obtain career opportunities.”

Lowery is also an advisor for Native Americans at Harvard College, an undergraduate group for which Scott currently serves as treasurer.

Lowery said she was immediately impressed by Scott and thought that the award was a great way for her to gain visibility and credit.