Richard Iron Cloud is currently employed as the Director of Graduate Studies at Oglala Lakota College. He received his BA from Fort Lewis College in Durango CO and his MA from Oglala Lakota College. He is currently working on his dissertation for a PhD in Psychology from Walden University. His eclectic career has been mostly in the human services. He is also an Instructor at Oglala Lakota College and a volunteer Peace Maker for the Oglala Sioux Tribal Court System.
His research will establish the relationship between acculturation and leadership style among graduates of the Oglala Lokota Leadership Program. This study is pursued as a direct response to a grievance made by an elder of the community and concern that the college has failed to assure that students and graduates understand the importance traditional culture plays in self-preservation and community leadership.