Data Consultant
Prevent Child Abuse North Dakota (PCAND)
Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Visitation (MIECHV) program

What is your background  

Boozhoo (Hello), Jacob Davis nidizhinikaaz (I am called). Ojibwe Anishinaabe'inini nidaaw makinoc wazhoo ishkoonigaan doodaa bendawgwiis. (I am an Ojibwe man and I come from the Turtle Mountains.) I am a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians located in Belcourt, North Dakota. I received my undergraduate from Minot State University and then started working at the University of North Dakota as a Project Coordinator for the National Resource Center on Native American Aging. Through this work I found my passion for helping people and have refocused my life to help inspire holistic changes in the way we view American Indian health. 

What did you specialize in at NDSU

The specialization that I chose within the North Dakota State University’s Master of Public Health Program was American Indian Public Health, which is the only program of its kind in the nation.

How did the NDSU MPH prepare you for the workforce

The work that I had done prior to the NDSU MPH program had a narrow scope which consequently limited my understanding of issues regarding American Indian health. The MPH program helped me become more versatile as a professional while encouraging me to grow as an individual. I now know that I have the tools necessary to help implement changes in the way American Indians view Public Health.

What is your current position or academic pursuit

Currently, I am working as a Data Consultant for the Prevent Child Abuse North Dakota (PCAND) Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visitation (MIECHV) program. I view this role as a gateway to working on other American Indian health projects within a similar Consultant capacity.

How are you impacting the health of North Dakotans 

Recently, I was selected as one of eight individuals to serve on the Public Health in Indian Country Capacity Survey (PHICCS) Advisory Committee through the National Indian Health Board. Serving on this board will allow me the opportunity to help guide the development and implementation of a survey aimed at assessing the capacity of public health services within “Indian Country” including North Dakota. My current Data Consultant role allows me the opportunity to work with two of the five tribes in North Dakota on issues surrounding maternal and infant health while identifying service needs within those communities.