Rebecca Tsosie

The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is pleased to announce Regents Professor Rebecca Tsosie was recently awarded the 2014 Individual Leadership Award by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE).  The Individual Leadership Award seeks to honor those whose work informs or advances understanding of diversity and inclusive excellence in higher education. The NADOHE recognizes leaders who have made outstanding contributions to research, administration, practice, advocacy, or policy work.

The NADOHE recognizes that Professor Tsosie’s pioneering work in Indian Law, in particular her work with Native Nations and the federal system, make her a deserving recipient of this prestigious award.  Professor Tsosie is of Yaqui descent and has worked extensively with tribal governments and organizations. She currently serves as a Supreme Court Justice for the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. The NADOHE award honors Professor Tsosie’s leadership at institutional, state, and national levels.

Professor Tsosie received her B.A. and her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. Since joining the College faculty in 1993, Professor Tsosie has taught in the areas of Indian Law and Critical Race Theory, among other subjects. She has written and published widely on doctrinal and theoretical issues related to tribal sovereignty.  Professor Tsosie has given numerous lectures nationally and internationally on the topics of indigenous people and genetics; identity as it relates to sovereignty; climate adaptation and sustainability; and epistemic injustice specifically in the areas of science, ethics, and human rights.

In 2012, Professor Tsosie was given the high honor of being named a Regents’ Professor by ASU for her extraordinary contributions in the classroom and in her field of expertise. This award is the highest faculty honor given by ASU, recognizing those who have achieved a sustained level of national distinction for their work. Professor Tsosie is one of the most highly regarded scholars of Indian law in the world as author of more than 40 law review articles and book chapters.

Professor Tsosie will be receiving the Individual Leadership Award at the 8th Annual NADOHE Conference, which will be held March 10-14 in San Diego, CA.