Kristin Szczepaniec is the Collaboration and Research Specialist working on Buffalo Commons, a joint collaboration between Cornell ILR Buffalo Co-Lab and Partnership for the Public Good. The goal of Buffalo Commons is to facilitate the network of researchers and partners on Buffalo-Niagara focused research and to disseminate this information in the digital library. She earned an MPA in Education Policy & American Indian Studies from Cornell University, holds a Master of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of New Mexico and a BA in Economics and Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame. A native western New Yorker, she is Seneca, hawk clan, and Polish. She worked with the NACA Inspired Schools Network on developing an Indigenous Education Knowledge Management system, supporting and developing community-designed and led schools for Native students. She served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships for Teach For America's Native Alliance Initiative, building a strong community of Native leaders focused on culturally responsive education and was a middle school math teacher in the Pueblo of Laguna. 

If you are interested in a research project or want to learn more, reach out: buffalocommons@cornell.edu.