Dr. Ngai’s research and teaching interests lie at the crossroads of culture, communication, Indigenous perspectives, social justice, social change, and sustainable development. She has taught both in the United States and Asia, and conducted research and delivered guest lectures/workshops at universities in countries on four continents, including Norway, Finland, China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, India, Ethiopia, and Canada. To contribute to the local community, Phyllis implemented multi-year grant projects to support the implementation of Indian Education For All in Missoula public schools. She also co-directed a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute on Indigenous Literary Perspectives in Global Conversation. Her research interests include:

1. nongovernmental organization approaches to Indigenous, ethnic-minority, and women’s issues in the United States and S.E. Asia;
2. global discourses about Indigenous peoples’ rights and women’s empowerment;
3. culturally grounded health-communication approaches for improving American Indian health in Montana;
4. migrant health and resilience as the context for a global framework for supporting displaced people. 

SW 464 Cultural Humility in Social Work Practice: Valuing Diversity

SW 511 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II: Difference, Diversity, and Oppression

SW 521 Advanced Research and Program Evaluation

COMX 415 Intercultural Communication 

IDS 191/SW110X Global Justice and Sustainable Development

IDS 491/591 Communication for Social and Behavior Change