Pamela Begay

Pamela Begay is an Associate Professor of Practice at the Brown School of Washington University in St. Louis. She serves as Director of the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies and maintains a clinical private practice in New Mexico, specializing in trauma treatment through psychodynamic theory. A member of the Diné Nation of Shiprock, New Mexico, she advocates for culturally appropriate social work practices and increased representation of Native clinicians.

• PhD in Clinical Social Work, Smith College School of Social Work
• MSW, Washington University in St. Louis
• BA in American Indian/Native American Studies, University of New Mexico

Her research focuses on Native American issues, cultural identity, and clinical interventions for Indigenous communities. As senior editor of the Journal of Indigenous Research and editorial board member of the Clinical Social Work Journal, she contributes to advancing Indigenous scholarship. She chairs the American Indian/Alaska Native concentration at the Brown School and works to address licensing barriers for Native social workers.

• Director, Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies (2022–present)
• Senior Editor, Journal of Indigenous Research
• Member, Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Diversity & Social and Economic Justice
• North American Commissioner, International Federation of Social Workers

The Buder Center, established in 1990, trains social work professionals for tribal and urban Indigenous settings. Dr. Begay’s work bridges academia and practice, emphasizing visibility and empowerment of Native populations.