Michael McConnell, PhD

Dr. Michael McConnell began his academic journey at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where his passion for global cultures and public service first took root, marked by an early opportunity to travel to the Middle East. He continued his studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), earning a B.A. in Political Science/Public Service with an emphasis in Middle Eastern Studies in 1977. Driven by a growing interest in human behavior and mental health, he earned a second B.A. in Psychology from San Diego State University in 1980, followed by an M.A. (1984) and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (1988) from the University of Utah. During graduate school, he also completed a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology and a clinical internship at the Veterans Administration Medical Center (1983–1984).

His post-graduate training included acceptance into the United States Air Force Clinical Psychology Residency Program (1986–1987), after which he served as a USAF Clinical Psychologist and officer until 1999, including assignments in the United Kingdom and Japan. Following his military career, he continued providing psychological services to U.S. military personnel and civilians both domestically and overseas, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Germany, and Japan.

In 2016, Dr. McConnell pursued a lifelong goal of serving Native American communities, joining the Navajo Nation at the Indian Health Services Comprehensive Health Care Facility in Chinle, Arizona (2016–2023). He and his family moved to Nevada in late 2023, where he now serves the Reno Sparks Indian Colony’s Indian Health Clinic, bringing his extensive cross-cultural and clinical experience to the community while enjoying the opportunity to be closer to family.