Naomi Tom is a citizen of the Tohono O’odham Nation from the Chukut Kuk District and grew up in Laveen, AZ.  

Tom’s educational background includes an Associate of Arts in Secondary Education in History from Glendale Community College; Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University in American Indian Studies with a minor in History; Master of Science from Arizona State University in American Indian Studies (Indigenous Rights and Social Justice) with a Graduate Certificate in Public Administration. Her expertise is in American Indian research policies, with her Master Thesis titled, “Protecting Tribal Nations through Community Controlled Research: An Analysis of Established Research Protocols within Arizona Tribes.” In 2021, she published a book chapter titled, “Moving Toward Community Controlled Research: An Analysis of Research Policies of Arizona Tribes With Implications for Indian Country”.    

Tom has been in higher education since 2012 and worked with Tohono O’odham Community College and the Tohono O’odham Nation for nine years.