Source: Indian Country Today Media Network
Arizona State University has added five American Indian scholars in the fields of law, social transformation, American Indian studies, and social and family dynamics.
University President Michael M. Crow said the appointments are examples of how ASU is committed to diversity the school’s recognition of social responsibility.
“As I said in my inaugural speech 11 years ago, Arizona State University will gather and empower a large cohort of scholars focused on American Indian culture and social and economic issues,” Crow said in a release announcing the five new scholars. “The presence of a critical mass of scholars encourages constructive dialogue and the evolution of a given sphere of inquiry. It is all the more essential in a developing field such as American Indian Studies.
“We will encourage scholars from a spectrum of disciplines to offer different perspectives. Teaching and research related to American Indian culture has been underway at Arizona State University for decades but the American Indian Initiative is proving transformational in the development of the field, and confirms the university’s commitment to programs that are socially relevant.”
New faculty include:
Professor Robert J. Miller, an Eastern Shawnee citizen, comes to the Sandra J. O’Connor College of Law from the Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. He’ll teach civil procedure, Indian law classes and a new class focusing on economic development for tribal nations and Indian peoples.
Professor K. Tsianina Lomawaima, of Mvskoke descent, comes to the School of Social Transformation from the University of Arizona. Her teaching interests include U.S. Indian policy history, indigenous knowledge systems and research issues in American Indian education.
Tennelle L. Marley, a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, is an American Indian Studies assistant professor and will teach Introduction to American Indian Studies. American Indian health and health policy, sociology of health, sociology of American Indians and qualitative research methods are her areas of expertise.
Michelle Hale, an assistant professor, will teach tribal governance, federal Indian policy and Introduction to American Indian Studies within the American Indian Studies program. She is Laguna, Ojibwe, Odawa and a citizen of the Navajo Nation. Her areas of expertise lie in tribal governance and leadership, public policy, economic development and the Navajo government.
Monica Tsethlikai, an enrolled member of the Zuni people of New Mexico, joins the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics from the University of Utah. She will teach statistics and courses on child development as an assistant professor. Her research explores the cultural and contextual factors that affect function development and memory processes in middle childhood and early adolescence.
“These new faculty become part of a cohort of scholars who have already positioned ASU as a leading academic institution in matters related to American Indian culture and its implication in the context of the broader American culture,” said Executive Vice President and University Provost Elizabeth D. Phillips in the release “They will continue to expand our scholarly expertise in critical intellectual areas as well as provide our students with a vast array of knowledge and experience.”
Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/09/18/meet-5-new-american-indian-scholars-arizona-state-university-151300