Staff Biographies

Dr. Jean F. Kelly, PhD, directs research and training programs focused on young children's social and emotional health. Jean is a professor in the department of Family and Child Nursing at the University of Washington and directs the Promoting First Relationships Program. She is also the Co-Director of the Center on Infant Mental Health and Development, a partnership between the School of Nursing and the Center on Human Development and Disability. Her interest in promoting the parent/caregiver-child relationship began in the late 1970's with her dissertation work using videotaped feedback to promote the relationship between parents and their young children with developmental delays. Since that time, she has conducted research and developed programs for families and infants and toddlers who are homeless, enrolled in early intervention programs for young children with special needs, and participants in Early Head Start programs. She is also involved in research and training efforts to improve the relationship quality of child care programs. Her most recently added area of training and research is to promote healthy relationships between parents, foster parents and therapeutic child care providers who care for children involved in the child welfare system. She teaches in the Irving B. Harris Graduate Certificate Program in Infant Mental Health and the Department of Family and Child Nursing at the University of Washington.

Jenny McSharry, M.Ed., is an Early Childhood Consultant for the Promoting First Relationships program, and received her Master of Education degree in counseling from the University of Puget Sound.  While pursuing her degree, Jenny was introduced to the Promoting First Relationships curriculum and was inspired to focus her studies around early childhood development.  Jenny is thrilled to have the opportunity to offer relationship-focused intervention to caregivers and their children. She is currently working on multiple Promoting First Relationships grant-funded projects, and she also teaches the PFR curriculum in workshop formats.

Julie Nagel, LICSW, is an Early Childhood Consultant for the Promoting First Relationships program. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Social Work from Western Michigan University in 1983. In 1986 she received her Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She graduated from the certificate program in Infant Mental Health from the University of Washington in August, 2003. Since receiving her Master’s degree, she has worked primarily in the mental health field; her roles have included: Intensive Day Treatment therapist with 2-5 year old children, child and family therapist, coordinator of the Interagency Coordinating Council, coordinator of the Snohomish County Child Study Teams, and collaborator on federal grant projects focusing on implementation of Public Law 99-457. Julie was also a mental health consultant for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, and served as a consultant with the Snohomish County Success By Six Project.

Monica Oxford, MSW, PhD, is a Research Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Washington and the Director of NCAST Programs, an organization that develops and disseminates research-based practice originating from the Department of Family and Child Nursing and the Center on Human Development and Disability. Dr. Oxford is also a Promoting First Relationships-trained Early Childhood Consultant, and her area of research focuses on parenting and child outcomes for vulnerable families living in challenging contexts. Dr. Oxford is interested in how context, child characteristics, and parenting practices combine to inform particular patterns of child outcomes and how intervention practice impacts to promote both parent and child well-being.

Jennifer Rees, MSW, is an Early Childhood Consultant for the Promoting First Relationships program.  She has spent a large part of her career working with children and families as a Research Coordinator for the NICHD Study of Early Childcare and Youth Development, as well as counseling teens and their families in school settings.  Jennifer also has experience in vocational rehabilitation and physical therapy.  Her projects with Promoting First Relationships have included training childcare providers and mental health professionals, as well as caseworkers and families in transitional housing environments.  Jennifer continues to use her PFR training skills in facilitating workshops and providing intervention services to providers and parents, including families affected by autism.

Jennifer Duval, BA, is the Program Coordinator for Promoting First Relationships, and the Development Coordinator for NCAST Programs at the University of Washington. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Sociology, with a focus on family relationships. She has worked as a Research Coordinator for the NICHD Study of Early Childcare and Youth Development, conducting daycare, preschool, and elementary school observations. Her research experience also includes studies of Peer Interactions and of Childcare for children with Special Needs. Ms. Duval was a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children of King County, and is a certified Labor Support Person (doula). She currently maintains the budgets of PFR training grants, assists with program and materials development, oversees the organization of the PFR offices, acts as liaison to funding sources, recruits training sites, maintains the PFR website, and helps facilitate on-going team training.