Kelly Walker

Kelly R. Walker is a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes (Arikara and Hidatsa) and Comanche. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker based in Lawrence, Kansas. Kelly serves as a Research Project Coordinator in the Office of Sovereign Partnerships and Indigenous Initiatives.

Kelly holds a Master of Social Welfare from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous and American Indian Studies from Haskell Indian Nations University. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Social Work at the University of Kansas.

Her professional experience includes school based mental health, crisis response, training, and community engagement, with a focus on supporting Indigenous and rural communities. Kelly’s work centers on culturally responsive, trauma informed practices that strengthen school systems and support Native youth, families, and communities.

Outside of her professional work, Kelly enjoys dancing Women’s Southern Traditional, attending cultural events, and reading fiction. She is also actively engaged in community and alumni efforts that uplift and connect Native and Indigenous communities.