Send a Google hangout invitation to mscott@mesacc.edu if you would like to meet.

Mona Scott Figueroa is Red Running into Water (T’achii’nii’), born for African Americans (Nahilii). Her maternal grandfather is from the Salt clan (Ashiihíí). She is from Birdsprings in the Navajo Nation. Her maternal grandparents are the late Louise Curley and the late Harris Curley. Her mother is Rene Scott. Mona earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Arizona State University (ASU) with an emphasis on American Indian Studies. Her dissertation focused on strategies for retaining Native students at Mesa Community College. She also earned a BA in Sociology from the University of Southern California and an MA from ASU. Since 1999 she has taught Sociology and American Indian Studies at Mesa Community College. She also teaches in the Hoop of Learning program, a high school-to-college bridge program. Her teaching and research background includes Indigenous epistemologies, inequalities, and power, emphasizing race and ethnicity. She draws heavily from life experiences growing up in South Central Los Angeles, Birdsprings on the Navajo Nation, and Winslow, Arizona.