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Biography

Kathleen "Kati" McNamara is a board-certified licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and experienced researcher and educator. In 2025, she joined the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ School of Social Work as an assistant professor, and continues to work as a dedicated trauma therapist specializing in treating healthcare professionals with job-related trauma.

McNamara served as a U.S. Air Force officer for 12 years, leading teams across the U.S., Europe, and Africa. She spent five years as the director of behavioral medicine for a family medicine residency program and served as the sole psychotherapist for a joint military base in the Horn of Africa. She completed a teaching fellowship with the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and was recognized as the Air Force’s Biomedical Sciences Educator of the Year.

Beyond her clinical, teaching, and leadership roles, McNamara is an accomplished social science researcher. Her published work spans topics such as diversity and inclusion in the military, mental health among service members and veterans, the role of social workers in the climate crisis, adapting behavioral health interventions for primary care, and suicide risk assessment in medical settings.