UW president urges 'pipeline' for Wind River Reservation

While working as dean of SDSU's College of Family and Consumer Sciences, Nichols was project director for an initiative in which SDSU, tribal colleges and high schools collaborated to help American Indian students earn bachelor's degrees.

In part, Nichols said she developed that program because she wanted to "work with the tribal colleges and not be in competition with them."

Because Wyoming doesn't have as many tribal colleges as South Dakota, Nichols said the program could use Central Wyoming College instead, but she said it also ought to include an option for students to go directly from high school to UW.