Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering

Dr. Cynthia Lindquist, PhD
President
Cankdeska Cikana Community College
Spirit Lake Dakota
PO Box 269
214 First Ave
Fort Totten, ND 58335

Term: 06/01/2024 – 05/31/2027

Dr. Lindquist was recruited by elders and became President, Cankdeska Cikana (Little Hoop) Community College (CCCC) in October 2003. CCCC is one of 37 tribal colleges and universities in the United States with all having a core mission of teaching and perpetuating a respective indigenous culture and language. CCCC serves the Spirit Lake Dakota community located primarily in Benson County, North Dakota. Most recently, CCCC averages 200 students per semester, has an operating budget of approximately $12 million (includes grant programs) and about 125 employees.

As a Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow, Dr. Lindquist earned a PhD in educational leadership in 2006 from the University of North Dakota. She has a Master’s in Public Administration with an emphasis on tribal health systems from the University of South Dakota (1988) and a bachelor’s in Indian Studies/English from the University of North Dakota (1981).

Dr. Lindquist currently serves on:
• Board of Directors, American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC)
• Board of Trustees, American Indian College Fund (College Fund)
• North Dakota Ethics Commission (established September 2019)
• Founding member, National Indian Women’s Health Resource Center
• Peer Reviewer (accreditation), Higher Learning Commission