Abram Lyons

Mr. Lyons is a Social Worker (MSW) and PhD candidate in the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. A descendant of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, his research interests focus on the historical and ongoing impacts of colonialism on Indigenous Families and the ways Sovereignty-affirming policies can improve outcomes for Indigenous Communities.

Mr. Lyons received a Bachelor of Science in Philosophy and Psychology from the University of Idaho. He later served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine before returning to the U.S. to receive a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Memphis. Soon after graduating, Mr. Lyons worked as an Indian Child Welfare case manager where he witnessed the resilience of AI/AN parents and communities and their commitment to preserving kinship and traditions despite hardships manufactured by colonization and racist social structures.

Prior to becoming a PhD student, Mr. Lyons worked for three years as a research coordinator on a multi-site alcohol intervention with AI/AN communities at Washington State University that was funded by the National Institute of Health. He has spent the past four years working on a project examining ICWA implementation in a Midwestern state, as well as with the Center for Guaranteed Income Research, where he studied the effects of an unconditional financial intervention among families with child welfare involvement