Who We Are

Meet Our Team

Jamie Aten, Ph.D. 

Founder and Executive Director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute  
Blanchard Chair of Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership

Jamie Aten (Ph.D., Indiana State University) is the Founder and Executive Director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute and holds the Blanchard Chair of Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership. His research focuses on the psychology of religion/spirituality and disasters, which has been supported by over $6 million in grant funding. He is the co-author or co-editor of 7 academic books, including the Disaster Ministry Handbook (InterVarsity Press) and Spiritually Oriented Psychotherapy for Trauma (APA Books). In 2016, he received the FEMA Community Preparedness Champion Award at the White House. He was also awarded the 2010 American Psychological Association Division 36 (Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality) Early Career Award. 

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Kent Annan

Director of Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership

Kent Annan is Director of Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership. In this role he works with Dr. Aten to develop vision and strategy for growing and sustaining the MA in Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership program while managing its day-to-day operations, teaching courses, and advising and mentoring students. He is author of You Welcomed Me: Loving Refugees and Immigrants Because God First Loved Us (2018), Slow Kingdom Coming (2016), After Shock (2011), and Following Jesus through the Eye of the Needle (2009). He writes regularly for national publications. He speaks often at churches, colleges, and conferences around North America. He cofounded and formerly served as codirector of Haiti Partners, a nonprofit focused on education in Haiti. He’s on the board of directors of Equitas Group, a philanthropic foundation focused on ending child exploitation in Haiti and Southeast Asia. He’s a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Palm Beach Atlantic University (B.A.). He teaches adult education at his local church. He is married to Shelly, and together they have a daughter and son.

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Jamie Goodwin

Assistant Professor of Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership

Jamie Goodwin is a bilingual scholar who comes from the world of practice. Her research focuses on international philanthropy and civil society, with a focus on faith-based organizations and immigrant groups. She has served on grant-funded research teams including The Global Philanthropy Environment Index, The Global Religion Research Initiative, and The National Study of Congregations’ Economic Practices. Her work has been published by The Urban Institute, The Conversation, and featured in The Stanford Social Innovation Review. She held the Ilich-Dickinson Fellowship at Indiana University and was named one of the premiere ten graduate students at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis for 2019-2020. 

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Joy Lee

Program Administrator

Joy Lee oversees the education programs of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute and supports a growing alumni community. She also maintains partnerships with NGOs for collaborative opportunities. Joy’s previous work involved coordinating and developing projects related to anti-oppressive education, the arts, gender-based violence, and advocacy. She has worked on projects in different mediums such as: Torn Memories of Nanking by Tamaki Matsuoka (ALPHA Education); In Sundry Languages by Toronto Lab Theatre (play); Make Food, Not War by Siobhan Productions Inc. (short documentary); Everything will Live Where the River Goes by Blades Art Project (Mural). Joy has B.A. degrees in Theatre and Semiotics, and Urban Education from the University of Toronto/OISE. She is currently completing her M.A in Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership. At her church, she serves on the Race & Justice Committee, and previously, the COVID-19 response community engagement team. 

 

As Office Coordinator, Rose provides administrative support to both the M.A. in Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership and the Humanitarian Disaster Institute. Rose previously worked with HDI from 2016-2017 and is excited to be back at Wheaton College and supporting the HDI team. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, and in her free time enjoys exploring creative projects and spending time with her husband and daughter.

 

Dena Dyer

Communications Specialist

Dena Dyer serves as Communications Specialist for HDI. She curates and edits content for “The Better Samaritan” blog through Christianity Today and supports the Institute, MA in HDL, and Spiritual First Aid through social media content, sales/marketing resources, and other communications. A few of her past jobs include teaching English at a Christian homeschool co-op, performing professionally in a music theater, and serving as a Director of Development and Communication at Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle. Dena’s the award-winning author or co-author of twelve non-fiction Christian books, including Wounded Women of the Bible: Finding Hope When Life Hurts (Kregel), and loves studying and teaching the Bible. She graduated from Baylor University (BA, English and Music) and studied communications and theology at Southwestern Seminary. Dena has been married for almost three decades to her husband, a worship pastor and music therapist. They have two young adult sons and a rescue dog who keeps their empty nest from being too quiet.

 

Kiki Schleiff Cherry

Outreach and Project Manager

As Outreach and Project Manager, Kiki is responsible for oversight and coordination of community-oriented programs at the Humanitarian Disaster Institute. She also engages and supports facilitators in their efforts to launch and lead Spiritual First Aid Certificate Course groups. Kiki's previous experience includes serving as Co-Director of New Life Campus Ministries at Carnegie Mellon University, working as a Relationship Manager for a volunteer management software company in Dallas, and serving on the New Channels and Partnerships team at World Vision. She holds a B.A. degree in Communications from Ouachita Baptist University. Kiki volunteers on the content review team for YouVersion and works with preschoolers and college students at her church. She is married to Doug. They have a daughter and son-in-law, a son, three grand cats and one very spoiled grand dog.

 

 

Ward Davis, Psy.D.

Director of Research
Associate Professor of Psychology

Dr. Davis is a licensed clinical psychologist who joined the Wheaton College faculty in 2012. He was an HDI Faculty Fellow from 2012 until 2019, when he transitioned into the HDI Director of Research role. In that role, Dr. Davis helps coordinate and share findings from the numerous research projects HDI team members are involved in around the world. Dr. Davis also is a core faculty member in the Wheaton PsyD Program, in which he mainly teaches psychological assessment and practicum seminar classes. Previously, Dr. Davis was an Assistant Professor in the Rosemead School of Psychology (Biola University), where he taught in the PsyD and PhD Programs and received the Sorenson Outstanding Faculty Award in 2012.

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George Kalantzis, Ph.D.  

Professor of Theology
Director, The Wheaton Center for Early Christian Studies 

George Kalantzis (Ph.D., Northwestern University) focuses his research and writing interests on the dynamic relationship between the written documents and their interpretation in early Christianity. He pays particular attention to the development of Christological and Trinitarian thought, as well as the interplay of classical Greco-Roman and early Christian philosophical understandings of anthropology and biblical hermeneutics. 

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Scott Moreau, D.Miss. 

Associate Academic Dean of Wheaton College Graduate School
Professor of Intercultural Studies

Dr. Moreau's professional interests include contextualization of the Christian faith, issues related to phenomenology (folk religions, spiritual warfare), and technology in missions (especially information technology and the use of the Internet). His personal interests include reading novels and working around the house.

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Jeff Yoder 

Guest Faculty
Engineering Program Coordinator

Jeff is a water-focused civil engineer who has worked in development and humanitarian response for more than 20 years. He has directed water supply initiatives for an Australia and Timor-Leste bilateral rural water and sanitation program, overseen the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) 2004 Indonesia tsunami response program, and led MCC review teams in Jordan, Kenya and Ethiopia. Jeff has worked on post-disaster humanitarian initiatives with Christian and secular non-government organizations and as a FEMA consultant. Jeff is passionate about strengthening the church and God’s people through mutual support and relationships both in and out of times of crisis.  In addition to teaching with HDI, Jeff is Wheaton’s Engineering Program Coordinator.

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John McConnell, Ph.D. 

Assistant Professor of Psychology 

John M. McConnell, Ph.D., has six years of experience as a clinician in the Veterans Health Administration (VA). Dr. McConnell has additionally practiced in a community mental health center and a cancer hospital. As a licensed psychologist, he specializes in integrating cognitive/psychological assessments and interventions into medical settings with particular emphasis on the elderly, people with dementia, and individuals with physical illness. He was previously responsible for managing a VA outpatient mental health clinic during his postdoctoral residency. Dr. McConnell also is an expert in assisting individuals, couples, and groups accomplish forgiveness. He is passionate about teaching, clinical supervision, research advising, and student mentorship.

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Yousaf Sadiq, Ph.D. 

Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology

Dr. Sadiq earned his doctorate from the London School of Theology, UK. He has been teaching at Wheaton College for several years. Dr. Sadiq is passionate to be a voice for the persecuted. As a HDI Senior Fellow, he is developing an initiative for the global church in a hostile context. He enjoys watching Cricket (a sport, not an insect!)

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• Donnie Davis (Georgia State University) 
• Cirleen DeBlaere (Georgia State University) 
• Josh Hook (University of North Texas) 
• Stacey McElroy (Georgia State University) 
• Laura Shannonhouse (Georgia State University) 
• Daryl Van Tongeren (Hope College)  
• Laura Captari (Boston University) 
• Kevin Schaller (Resiliency Partners)