Tosha BigEagle

Tosha BigEagle is a graduate student in the department of Prevention Science and a recipient of the Research Assistantships for Diverse Scholars (RADS). Her research interests include health equity, harm reduction, mass incarceration, gender development, and Indigenous Ways of Knowing. The focus for her research surrounds adult indigenous and BIPOC groups and other vulnerable/marginalized populations. In her current career path, she helps underserved and non-traditional students find resources as a Program Support Supervisor for the Workforce Education Services department at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington. 

BigEagle earned her undergraduate degree in human development, psychology, and addiction studies in 2022 from WSUV. Her research interest stem from lived experience including overcoming childhood trauma, addiction, mental health, and incarceration. During her undergraduate, she worked on research teams with Dr. Sara F. Waters and Dr. Yoshie Sano cultivating her interest in health equity and marginalized populations.

She enjoys traveling, reading novels, community involvement, and spending time with her loved ones. She is a wife, mother, and caregiver. Passionate about ending mass incarceration, she is involved in non-profit organizations and advocacy work to raise awareness of the overrepresentation of Indigenous and BIPOC individuals.