Besides her teaching and clinical practice, Dr. Warner is avidly interested in research. Her primary research interest, at this juncture, is resilience with special emphasis on qualitatively examining resilience in Black women compared to Black men across the life cycle. This examination of resilience is informed by a contextual and racial justice lens. Dr Warner is cognizant of the fact that the sociocultural ecologies of Black populations are impacted by oppressive and unjust hierarchical systems; and, their social reality include the lived experiences of racialized treatment, microaggression, statistically significant disparities, disproportional violence, and inequity. Her goal is to privilege the voices and conceptualizations of Black women and men who are irrefutably qualified to offer crucial/salient contributions about the nature, meaning, and processes of resilience.

Ultimately, Dr. Warner seeks to: a) offer an alternative conceptualization and understanding of resilience that is both culturally determined and responsive, b) contribute to an inclusive and equitable knowledge base about resilience, and c) challenge the existing hegemony of Eurocentric assumptions about resilience. Her research interest has significant overlap and congruence with LEARN Missoula research project that focuses on the centering of BIPOC voices and experiences to dismantle systemic oppression, discrimination and inequality and leveraging their generated solutions to advance social transformation in Missoula.

Among the plethora of honors and awards that she has received, Dr. Warner values her membership in the Phi Alpha National Social Work Honor Society and takes pride in being the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Social Workers California Inland Empire and an honoree of the Black Student Association of La Sierra University. On a more personal note, Dr. Warner has a deep and abiding commitment to family, faith and the Divine.

Dr. Hall has developed and shared Indian Education for All (IEFA) instructional methods as a social studies teacher, Dr. Hall also experienced the challenges and limitations of implementing best practices identified for their promise with teaching American Indian students. Dr. Hall set his sights past curriculum and instruction, to a masters of school leadership, as he recognized lack of support for IEFA working in a reservation school, as the system not just the classroom was not equipped to implement this state-wide mandate. Prior to starting his position at the University of Montana, Dr. Hall left the public schools to work at Blackfeet Community College (BCC), a tribally-controlled, two-year college, committed to integrating Piikani culture and language in to all facets of the institution. Dr. Hall served as the Institutional Researcher and Vice President for Mission Effectiveness at BCC. In those roles, he facilitated review of Blackfeet Nation Institutional Review Board applications and reports, submitted and managed grant proposals, made personnel and facility infrastructure decisions, and supported the tribal college president and tribal leadership.

The time at BCC allowed Dr. Hall to commit his doctoral studies on understanding the role of culturally-responsive education, focusing on how educational leadership aligns to Piikani cultural values to encourage practices that lead to accomplishing culturally-responsive education on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Dr. Hall’s scholarship focuses on Indigenous education, Indigenizing educational leadership, and enhancing postsecondary education access and opportunities for/with Indigenous communities and tribal schools and colleges. Dr. Hall has published works focusing on Piikani leadership, Indigenizing education, and digital Indigenous storywork in top-tier journals and as part of invited collections.

Dr. Brad Hall is currently the Tribal Outreach Specialist for the University of Montana. In this role, Dr. Hall engages with K-12 schools and tribal communities to enhance the communication and transition to colleges and universities for/with Indigenous students. Dr. Hall is also the Interim Chair of the Blackfeet Nation Institutional Review Board (BNIRB). Dr. Brad Hall will play an important role in LEARN Missoula and throughout the research study, with his particular expertise in helping to guide the research team in aligning the design, instrumentation, and dissemination to be aligned with indigenous and community values as well as accepted qualitative practices. Given his prior research experiences and methodological expertise, he will also be particularly active in the data analysis portions of the project, especially in relation to the stories told by informant participants.

Wilena has worked for the University of Montana since January 2010 and has served her institution in different capacities, primarily on campus committees: Diversity Advisory Council, University Athletic Committee, American Indian Support and Development Committee and Native American Student Scholarship Committee. A highlight of hers is being the Advisor to the Kyiyo Native American Student Association and working with the BIPOC student groups on UM campus.

Additionally, he developed recognition and incentive programs to motivate associates and create a compelling place to work culture. He also managed a variety of projects that included mergers, retention, office relocation and Total Quality Management (TQM) initiative, with a budget responsibility for each project.

Dexter Royes is also a motivational speaker and presenter. He has spoken across the Northeast including presentation at Boston University Executive MBA program. His expertise as a leader, innovator and speaker is currently being utilized by Seyorion Business Services and North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Spider has worked with/been a member of/been an ally of/gone to jail with/been a marshal for: ACT UP, The Lesbian Avengers, The Dyke March Committee, The Lesbian Avengers Civil Rights Organizing Project, Honor the Earth, the Zapatistas in Chiapas Mexico, The Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization,The White Earth Land Recovery Project, The Indigenous Women’s Network, The Indigenous Environmental Network, Greenpeace, National Action Network, Justice for Abner Louima, Justice for Amadou Diallo, The Matthew Shepard Funeral March, All Against The Haul, and many more.

“Spider’s ongoing commitment to equity and her work in elevating BIPOC experiences, voices and expressions combined with her activism focusing on dismantling oppressive systems are consistent with the aims and goals of LEARN Missoula. Furthermore, she brings a wealth of knowledge, skills, and connections and a history of allyship that can be leveraged for the project’s success.” – Dr. Laurelle C. Warner