ABOUT THE CENTER

Nicole Wilke serves as Director of CAFO’s Center on Applied Research for Vulnerable Children and Families.

Prior to this role, she worked as a child and family therapist, missionary, in juvenile detention, and with children with special needs. Through her professional and personal life, she has gained extensive experience with foster care, adoption, residential care, trauma recovery, transitioning to family care, OVC research, and cross-cultural ministry. Nicole has degrees in Psychology, Family Studies, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Permanency and Adoption Competency.

She lives with her family in Peru, where they work to see vulnerable children raised in families.

Mandy Hiles Howard is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Samford University. She came to Samford after serving as the Assistant Director of the TCU Institute of Child Development. She worked closely with Drs. Karyn Purvis and David Cross in the development of Trust-Based Relational Interventions, which is a trauma-informed evidence-based approach to working with children who have a history of trauma.

Mandy’s professional interest broadly falls under the category of applied developmental psychology. Her work integrates theory, research and practice in a concentrated effort to increase understanding of the interpersonal processes underlying mental health and quality of life for children and youth in non-traditional care. Her research has generated a great deal of political and public policy interest both nationally and internationally. Some of her major engagements include addressing Australian Parliament and meeting with the Prime Minister, speaking at the internationally simulcasted Empower to Connect Conference, and training professionals within the Department of Family and Protective Services in multiple states.

Ali Heglund serves as the Research Center Managing Director. Prior to this role, she worked as a Vice President in a social service agency that managed five pregnancy centers, and adoption agency and post abortion healing program. Through her professional and personal life, she has gained extensive experience working with families in crisis and trauma. Ali has a MA in Human Counseling specializing in crisis response and trauma. She received this education to further understand the complexities of trauma and desiring to help her own family and the others she worked with. She lives with her family in Minnesota.

Joy serves as the Learning Manager for CAFO’s Center on Applied Research for Vulnerable Children and Families. Prior to this role, Joy has spent the last 18 years as a public school teacher, instructional coach, university professor, director of education and nonprofit board member for organizations serving students and families in the U.S. and abroad. She has also served the local church as a Missions Director and Director of Leadership Development. As a lifelong educator and learner, Joy is especially passionate about creating experiences that foster growth and development for the vulnerable and overlooked.

Joy received an Ed.D. in Learning Organizations and Strategic Change from Lipscomb University, a MS. in Cultural and Educational Policy from Loyola University-Chicago, a MS. in Language, Literacy and Specialized Instruction from DePaul University, and a BS. in Secondary Education, English, and Journalism from Butler University.

When she isn’t working, Joy loves exploring fun restaurants, sport stadiums, and hidden gems in new cities with her husband and two daughters. She also enjoys tending to her garden, supporting the local theater scene, anything creative and crafty, coffee shop conversations with good friends, and cheering on her hometown Chicago Cubs. Joy and her husband are also adoptive and former foster parents, and together, they love to partner with and support other adoptive and foster families as well as those who feel called to wrap around them.

Analu lives in Arequipa Peru. She serves as the Latin America Liaison for the Research Center. For the past years she has worked serving vulnerable children and families along a team of psychologists and Social Workers with Kids Alive. She Graduated from the Saint Agustin University in Arequipa. She has a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College. She has worked both for Non-Governmental institutions and in private practice cross-culturally serving English and Spanish speaking clients.

Analu enjoys learning more about how to serve the Lord better at her church and with her profession. She loves spending time playing with her two nephews who are 5 months and 2 years old.

Julie works as the Communications Manager for CAFO’s Center on Applied Research for Vulnerable Children and Families. Prior to this role, she has worked with vulnerable children and families in various capacities and in multiple countries. Most recently, she and her family were living and working in Southern Peru where they were supporting the care of vulnerable children and families and helping to build the vision for family-based care solutions in Peru.

Julie received a MA in Counseling from Denver Seminary and a BA in Communication from Colorado State University. Born and raised in Colorado, Julie loves to travel and explore the world with her husband and three kids. They have had the opportunity to live in Scotland, Israel, and Peru. She enjoys few things more than evenings spent with friends, new and old, over good food and good conversation.

Joscey Brecheisen serves as the Administrative Coordinator for the Research Center. Prior to this role, she worked as a family support specialist in a Head Start program in her community. She has worked in the foster care system as well as the Early Intervention program of Illinois. After studying and volunteering in Central America while earning her BS in Social Work, she felt a call to help support and strengthen families and children. She and her husband moved to the west side of Chicago 27 years ago for full-time ministry with youth and families. They helped plant and lead a house church while mentoring many youth through Bible studies, camping trips, and living in their home. In her free time, Joscey loves watching documentaries, biking, hiking, and traveling with her husband and 3 children.

Megan is a recent college graduate serving as a Research Center Project Assistant. During her time in her undergraduate career, she served as a Research Assistant to her professor Dr. Amanda Howard. Connecting through Dr. Howard to CAFO, Megan has been a part of the organization as a Research Volunteer, Contract Worker, and Intern. Now, officially part of the team as an employee, Megan hopes to continue her work with CAFO while continuing her education in Graduate School!