Abram J. Lyons

Assistant Professor

Abram J. Lyons is an assistant professor specializing in social work in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Delaware. As a descendant of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, Mr. Lyons’s research interests include the historical and ongoing impacts of racism and colonialism on Indigenous families and how Sovereignty-affirming policies can improve outcomes for Indigenous communities. Prior to joining UD, he worked on a project examining Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) implementation in a Midwestern state and with the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research, where he studied the effects of a financial intervention among families involved with the child welfare system.

Mr. Lyons received his A.A. from Spokane Falls Community College before transferring to the University of Idaho, where he studied philosophy and psychology. After graduating, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Western Ukraine. He then returned to the U.S. where he attended the University of Memphis School of Social Work. Shortly after earning his M.S.W., Mr. Lyons worked as an ICWA case manager. He also spent three years as a research coordinator on a multi-site alcohol intervention with Indigenous communities at Washington State University, funded by the National Institute of Health.

Educational Background

• Ph.D. Candidate, Social Welfare, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2021-present
• M.S.W., Social Work, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, 2017
• B.A., Psychology, University of Idaho, ID, 2010

Professional Experience

• Assistant Professor, College of Education and Human Development, University of Delaware, 2025-present
• KIDS COUNT Delaware Summer Fellow, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware, 2025
• Program Coordinator, Anne & Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, University of Oklahoma, 2022-2025
• Scientific Assistant, Behavioral Health Innovations Lab, Washington State University, 2018-2025
• Child and Family Welfare Service Social Worker, Washington Department of Social and Health Services, 2017-2018

Recent Grants

• Lyons, Abram J (PI). A Critical Analysis of Indigenous Children in the Child Welfare System and the Impact of Indian Child Welfare Act. University of Pennsylvania, 2025. ($25,000)