03/20/2026
The University of San Diego’s Center for Cultural Development invites you to join us to learn how engineering can be more than just numbers and data, but about our relationship to the world around us. This event is part of the new Office of the Tribal Liaison Indigenous Speaker Series, featuring Vivien Papp, a graduating senior in the Integrated Engineering program with a concentration in Sustainability, as the guest speaker.
Her presentation, Reimagining Engineering Through Indigenous Use of Materials, brings Indigenous Traditional Knowledge into the materials science classroom to give future engineers a deeper perspective. She argues that by studying the cultural and technical history of materials like red cedar, bison sinew, and turquoise, students can learn that sustainability and reciprocity are just as important as structural strength. She uses traditional frameworks like the Honorable Harvest and the Full-Use Principle to show that technical problems are also human and environmental ones. As an engineering student of Indigenous heritage, Vivien is proud to share how these perspectives help us build a more ethical and connected future.
This event will be held in Salomon Hall, Room 240 located in Maher Hall on USD’s campus, on April 23rd from 6:00-8:00 pm. Vivien’s 30-minute presentation will begin promptly at 6:00, followed by a 30-minute Q&A. The last hour is reserved for refreshments and networking. If you are unable to attend in-person, the presentation will be streamed via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to the email provided in the registration form.
*STUDENTS* - This event has also been approved for 1 COMPASS/CONNECT/PASSPORT point.
For questions please email Aaron Young, PhD, NAGPRA Repatriation Manager: [email protected].
