Ana Hernández, MSSW, MA
Program & Research Coordinator
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Ana is the program and research coordinator of Girasol at TXICFW. Ana is a native Austinite with a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies and History (BS, 2015), a Masters of Arts in Latin American Studies (MA, 2018), and a Masters of Science in Social Work (MSSW, 2018), from the University of Texas at Austin. Her advocacy, social work practice, and research are centered around work with immigrants in detention and the undocumented immigrant community in Austin, Texas.
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Monica Faulkner, Ph.D., LMSW
Director & Principal Investigator
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Dr. Monica Faulkner is a Research Associate Professor and the Director of the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing at the School of Social Work. She oversees multiple projects relating to foster care, child care and teen pregnancy prevention funded by state agencies, private foundations, and the federal government. Her primary research interest is teen pregnancy prevention for foster youth and the welfare of teen parents in foster care. Dr. Faulkner is an Adjunct Professor at The University of Texas at Austin where she teaches policy, human behavior in the social environment and child welfare related electives. Regarding professional experience, she has worked in both direct practice and clinical settings. Dr. Faulkner received her Doctorate in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin in 2010. She received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from The University of Houston. She received a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Government with a minor in Spanish and a Bachelor in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin.
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Shannon Mann-Butler, MSSW, MAC
Program & Training Director
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Shannon is the Program & Training Director at the institute. Shannon’s role includes program development, outreach and collaboration efforts on campus and in the community, as well as volunteer and student coordination. On campus, Shannon is a Foster Care Liaison and spearheads the Spark organization for former foster youth attending UT. Shannon has a Masters of Science in Social Work (MSSW, 2010) and Masters of Art in Counseling (MAC, 2006) along with extensive experience working with at-risk youth populations in various settings. Shannon has a passion for helping youth-serving nonprofit organizations to thrive and survive inevitable change. Her professional interests are in human capital, strategic planning, and community building in the areas of youth, education, substance abuse, mental health, and literacy.
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Kate McKerlie, MSSW, MPH
Communications Director
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Kate McKerlie, MSSW, MPH is currently the Communications Director at the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing at the University of Texas at Austin, Steve Hicks School of Social Work. As a professional communicator, Kate’s main mission is to make information clear and kind. Kate directs TXICFW’s communications by managing the team who maintains the institute website, e-newsletters, promotional print materials, and social media platforms. Kate is especially interested in using communications channels to promote and disseminate public health and social work research effectively and close the researcher/practitioner gap through interactive co-creative processes. She assists the TXICFW staff disseminate their research to the public through information design, such as report and brief design, infographics, and data visualization. Kate also specializes in video and motion graphics.
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Alix Mammina
Communications Specialist
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Alix Mammina is a Communications Specialist at the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing. In this role, she develops and implements communications and digital engagement strategies to promote the Institute’s research. She is committed to translating research into accessible tools and resources to help all children and families thrive.
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Christopher Ayala
Communications Specialist
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Christopher is responsible for monitoring all of the institute’s communication channels and producing web analytics reports to ensure digital communication initiatives and goals are being met. He also assists with the planning of the editorial calendar and dissemination of digital communications content, such as social media posts and the institute’s various newsletters. Christopher graduated Cum Laude from St. Edward’s University with a degree in Communications concentrating in Advertising and Public Relations.
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