Lashawnda Kilgore

LaShawnda Kilgore, Ph.D., currently serves as a Training and Implementation Specialist at the Center for Adoption Support and Education since June 2024, following a role as Manager of Research and Special Projects at Children's Defense Fund from March 2023 to July 2024. With extensive experience in academic settings, LaShawnda held positions such as Academic Coordinator at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School and Teaching Assistant at Strayer University. In earlier roles, LaShawnda contributed to research on foster youth outcomes as a Graduate Research Assistant and managed programs for vulnerable populations at First Star Academy and YWCA McLean County. Educational credentials include a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Communication from the University of Missouri-Columbia.