Indigenous Caucus Leadership
Dr. Stephanie Miller
Dr. Miller is a Professor and the Provost Faculty Research Scholar for Institutional Transformation at the University of Mississippi. Her research program focuses on early cognitive development, with an emphasis on executive function (EF). Her work aims to explore the emergence and development of this foundational cognitive skill within a broader sociocultural context. She has work examining how early communicative and linguistic skills support the emergence of cognitive control across different cultural contexts; how executive function relates to social functioning in friendships, social problem solving, and social cognition; and how EF relates to creative cognition. Her current work is focused on examining foundations of early EF and examining the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on social-emotional development within a preschool curriculum across multiple and diverse contexts.
Monica M. Tsethlikai, Ph.D.
Dr. Monica Tsethlikai is an Associate Professor in the School of Social and Family Dynamics at Arizona State University and an enrolled member of the Zuni (A:shiwi) Nation. Her research centers on how culture supports cognitive development and well-being in American Indian children, using a strengths-based lens. Recent work explores the impact of toxic stress—measured through parental reports and hair cortisol—on executive function and mental health in urban American Indian youth. She also collaborates on a culturally grounded parenting intervention for urban Native families. Dr. Tsethlikai earned degrees from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Kansas, completed postdoctoral training at UC Santa Cruz, and began her academic career at the University of Utah. Her research has been supported by the William T. Grant Foundation, the Ford and Spencer Foundations, and the Native Children’s Research Exchange Scholars Program.