Amanda Keller is an entrepreneur, activist, and Vanier Scholar under the supervision of Dr. Michael MacKenzie. She uses multidisciplinary and mixed-method approaches to examine child welfare policies. She has a particular focus on informing and reforming congregate care. Her thesis work examines the life trajectories of older adults who aged out of residential foster care. She is simultaneously collaborating on several research projects related to child welfare and trauma informed care.
Amanda is the founder of CARE Jeunesse, a grassroots peer support organization for alumni of foster care. Beginning her professional career as a homeless youth outreach worker, and subsequently working as a case manager she has ten years of clinical experience working with youth and young adults in Montreal, suffering from trauma and addictions. She attended Ohio University as an undergraduate, where she was a McNair Scholar and National Science Foundation fellowship recipient. She subsequently attended McGill University for her Master of Science in the Department of Psychiatry as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Amanda combines her personal, professional and academic knowledge to lead transformative change in child welfare
Contact: amanda.keller [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Email)