SARA BUCKINGHAM | 34

Associate Professor Of Psychology

University Of Alaska Anchorage

“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”

– John Lewis

Hometown: Pagosa Springs, Colo.

Current City: Eagle River

Education: Ph.D. in human services psychology: clinical and community psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC); Master of Arts in human services psychology from UMBC; Bachelor of Arts in psychology and sociology from the University of Northern Colorado

Community Work: I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at UAA and a licensed psychologist. I largely serve our Ph.D. program in clinical-community psychology, where I am lucky to mentor a diverse group of amazing graduate students working towards becoming psychologists. My research, practice and teaching integrate clinical, community and cultural psychology. My work centers on how communities and systems shape acculturation, resilience, sense of community and well-being. My work is largely with international migrants, and also extends to groups whose cultures have been suppressed through systemic efforts, such as colonization. The projects I embark on tend to be very collaborative; they usually come about because people, organizations and government entities seek out collaborations with me and my team of amazing students, faculty and community members. Together, we discuss research questions and come up with research-action plans that we carry out together. In this way, our work always seeks to have both a broad scientific impact that informs policy and practice, and also a local, practical impact for our community.

I also have a small private practice, Buckingham Psychological Services, through which I provide psychological assessment, treatment and consultation services, largely for asylum-seeking and refugee clients.

Family: Family is central to my identity. I have been married to my partner, James Buckingham, for nearly a dozen years. We have two awesome mutts, Maya and Akira. My parents are Melinda Baum and Don Weller - my stepfather who has been a wonderful father to me for 25 years - and the late Paul Baum, whose life ended far too soon; my maternal grandparents, Fred and Delores Wetzel, are in their 90s, and have provided an amazing example of living a meaningful life; two brothers, Chris and Alex Baum; niece, Oakley; on my husband’s side of the family, mother-in-law, Linda Durkee; my late father-in-law, Roger Durkee; sister-in-law, Autumn Rowe; and two nephews, Chad and Jace.

What is your favorite place in Alaska and why?: I am so thankful to get to live on Dena’ina lands, and being connected to the land is a large part of what drew me to migrate here. It is hard to name a favorite place in Alaska, but one place where I feel especially at peace and connected to the world around me is when I am camping on Kayak Beach in Kachemak Bay. There’s something about waking up on the ground, nestled in trees, sipping coffee at a campfire and staring out at the bay, seeing otters and seals swim by, and eagles flying overhead.

Name the person you respect and why: One of my heroes is the late John Lewis. From a very young age until the day he died, John Lewis tirelessly worked in community with other civil rights activists to make our world a better place. He did so with abundant love, great courage and amazing stamina. One of the aspects of John Lewis that I especially admire was his willingness to not only attempt to seek to dismantle oppressive systems from the outside, but also his willingness to enter oppressive spaces and do work within them to ultimately transform them for liberation.

What is your favorite pastime or hobby away from work?: My favorite pastime is to disappear into the lands around me for a while, whether that be hiking, biking, skiing, kayaking, trekking or berry picking - usually with my dogs in tow.

What was your first job?: My very first job was in middle school when I worked as an after-school tutor for elementary school students. My first job after completing my bachelor ’s degree was as an addictions counselor with Spanish-speaking clients; seeing the injustice of our immigration system through that job and how people frequently cope with oppression and trauma through substance use is in part what drew me to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical and community psychology. As a clinical-community psychologist, I can now help address the consequences of trauma and work with others to transform spaces and systems so they are more liberating, empowering and supportive - so they ultimately cause less trauma.

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