Chris Poitra, Ph.D., is a practitioner-scholar specializing in land stewardship and a specialty crop
farmer. Her current work explores how Indigenous principles inform holistic approaches to
agriculture. Previously, Dr. Poitra led an institute at Michigan State University focused on research,
faculty development, and institutional initiatives. This work built upon earlier scholarship centering
tribal-university partnerships and Indigenous frameworks in educational, organizational, and
agricultural contexts.
Doctor of Philosophy—Michigan State University;
Master of Arts—University of California, Los Angeles;
Bachelor of Arts—University of California, Berkeley.
Small-scale farming; Applied land stewardship; Indigenous frameworks; Collaborative research
models; Qualitative and mixed methods.
