Katie Berry brings over a decade of research and evaluation experience, collaborating with health and human services organizations in both the private and public sectors. Currently, at the Florida Institute for Child Welfare (FICW), she offers technical assistance to community providers to help them effectively evaluate their work and enhance the quality of care access and delivery.
Pooja Ichplani works alongside the Florida Institute for Child Welfare's (FICW) Research and Evaluation team toward FICW's vision, focusing on the research and evaluation efforts to respond to key legislative mandates for the institute. A key priority for her work is navigating the intersection of domestic violence and child welfare. She aims to build on her passion to develop a community-based, culturally appropriate prevention program against intimate partner violence to strengthen the workforce. Dr.
Dr. Malaika Samples is the Assistant Director of the Academic Innovation Program at the Florida Institute for Child Welfare. With over 15 years of experience in instructional design, program development, and applied research, her work bridges the gap between higher education and real-world professional practice in child welfare and related fields.
Lauren Stanley is the assistant director of Organizational Development, Research and Evaluation at the Florida Institute for Child Welfare and a research faculty member with the College of Social Work. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Florida Qualified Supervisor and has over 15 years of clinical experience with children and families.
Vivian Mills, PhD, MSW is the assistant director of Professional Development and Worker Wellbeing Research and Evaluation at the Florida Institute for Child Welfare (FICW) and a research faculty member at the College of Social Work. Prior to this position, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the FICW, and the Institute for Quality Children’s Services housed within Florida State University’s College of Social Work. Dr. Mills developed her passion to co-parent with families working towards reunification through her experiences as a foster and adoptive parent.
Burcu Izci, Ph.D., is the assistant director of Academic Innovation Research and Evaluation at the Florida Institute for Child Welfare and is a research faculty member at the FSU College of Social Work. Prior to this position, Burcu worked as an assistant professor and program coordinator for the Early Childhood Education program at Florida Gulf Coast University (2018-2023) and served as a research coordinator/postdoctoral researcher at Florida A&M University's STEM Center (2023-2024).
Schyler Brumm is a doctoral student at the College of Social Work. She has an educational background from Florida State University, holding a bachelor's degree in psychology and dual master's degrees in social work and criminology. Her professional journey is marked by contributions to direct social work and program development, focusing on vulnerable populations, particularly in the child welfare system.
Lisa Jackson is an assistant teaching professor with expertise in identifying and addressing the biopsychosocial and broad-level factors that inhibit the well-being and academic progress of college students with a history of foster care or homelessness. She also has experience in clinical service provision and organizational management. Ms.
A double alumna of Florida State University, Dr. Lisa Magruder completed her MSW in 2011 prior to pursuing her Ph.D. in social work at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. After returning home to Florida, Lisa served as the staff liaison to the Tallahassee/Leon County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls for two years before joining the FSU College of Social Work as the project manager of the Florida Study of Professionals for Safe Families, the cornerstone of what is now the GROW Center at the Florida Institute for Child Welfare.
