Lisa Byers

Dr. Lisa Byers is an Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Social Justice-Tulsa at the University of Oklahoma's Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work. She holds affiliations with Native American Studies and focuses on trauma healing in tribal communities through relational cultural theory. Her work emphasizes holistic wellness, historical trauma, and social justice advocacy.

Education:
- Undergraduate: Psychology (institution unspecified)
- Graduate: Social Work from Brown School of Social Work, Washington University (first American Indian recipient of a doctorate there).

Research & Teaching:
Developed courses for Oklahoma Native elders and a Social Work with American Indian certificate addressing child welfare, mental health, and policy. Recent publications explore tribal child welfare, diversity education via relational cultural theory, and social work's role in truth and reconciliation. Presentations emphasize historical trauma and empathy through children’s literature.

Awards:
- NIMH Pre-Doctoral Fellowship
- Council for Social Work Education Minority Research Fellowship

Grants & Initiatives:
- Co-developer of a social work course funded by the Council for Social Work Education
- Created the American Indian Social Work Certificate Program

Labs/Teams:
- Center for Social Justice-Tulsa
- Ruth Knee Institute for Transformative Scholarship (affiliated)