Lori Hasselman

Lori Hasselman, a citizen of the Shawnee Tribe and Delaware Tribe, serves her people by being committed to centering Indigenous philosophies as the foundation of her work. As the Director of Native American and Indigenous Affairs, Lori will lead strategies that provide a broad spectrum of engagement with Indigeneity for all Jayhawks that builds a greater capacity of visibility and belonging at KU for Native students, faculty, and staff.

Lori came to KU in October 2021 as the Assistant Director/Native American Student Success Coordinator in the newly formed Native American Initiatives (NAI) office. She coordinated the Haskell/KU Exchange Program and provided students at both institutions with academic support, culturally relevant programming, and peer engagement opportunities.

Prior to KU, Lori worked as a Retention Specialist in the TRiO Student Support Services program at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, KS. In her role at Haskell, Lori provided academic and holistic support for Native American/Alaskan Native students identified as first-generation, Pell-eligible, and/or students with disabilities. 

While earning a graduate degree at KU, Lori worked as an Academic Advisor Graduate Assistant in the KU Undergraduate Advising Center. As a graduate assistant, Lori also worked with the Adidas Leadership Scholars program serving incoming first-year students who were Pell-eligible, first-generation, or students of color.

Lori was accepted into the 2023 KU Staff Fellow Program and was awarded KU Employee of the Month for March 2023. She serves as the First Nations Student Association sponsor and as President of the KU Native Faculty and Staff Council. Lori earned “Top 5” distinction for the 2023 Best of Lawrence in the Community Leader-Racial Justice/Equity issues category. She is an active member of the National Indian Education Association, the Kansas Association of Native American Education, and serves on the Haskell Alumni Association Board of Directors.

As a Haskell student, Lori was awarded 2015 Haskell Student of the Year and was recognized by the State of Kansas House of Representatives for outstanding leadership following her collaborative work that led to the passage of the Indigenous People’s Day proclamation by the Lawrence City Commission.