HeavyRunner-PrettyPaint named Distinguished Alumni

Iris HeavyRunner-PrettyPaint, MSW in social work, 1997, and PhD in social work, 2009, was named a 2019 Distinguished Alumni by the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development.

HeavyRunner-PrettyPaint, a member of the Blackfeet/Crow tribe, is an internationally recognized expert in Native cultural resiliency and Indigenous evaluation methods. She has more than 35 years of experience as a researcher, evaluator, and educator, and is currently vice president for project management at Kauffman & Associates, an American Indian- and woman-owned management consulting firm. She has a longtime interest in building resilience and persistence for Native students pursuing higher education.

HeavyRunner-PrettyPaint was one of 15 alumni to receive the honor in November 2019. The recipients span a diverse range of academic disciplines and career paths. All are community builders and leaders who make a positive difference in the lives of children, youth, families, schools, and organizations, and whose achievements bring honor to the college. Read about all the recipients.