Laura Alison “Ali” Caliendo, Ph.D., is a scholar-practitioner whose work bridges academic research, public policy, and frontline nonprofit leadership to improve outcomes for children in nonparental care. Her teaching focuses on policy analysis, problem definition, implementation, and systems thinking, helping graduate students connect theory to real-world governance challenges.

Caliendo is the founder and executive director of Foster Kinship, Nevada’s statewide Kinship Navigator Program and a nationally recognized model adopted in multiple states. Her research and professional work center on the experiences of children in kinship, foster, and adoptive families; the policy landscape that shapes their stability; and the design of evidence-based interventions that strengthen family systems. She regularly collaborates with state agencies, national partners, and federal initiatives to advance effective kinship policy and practice.

Caliendo earned her Ph.D. in public affairs from UNLV School of Public Policy and Leadership, an M.A. in organizational systems renewal from Seattle University, and a B.A. in psychology from the University of Chicago. As a former foster parent, adoptive parent, and kinship caregiver, she brings personal insight to her academic and professional commitments, enriching her work with both rigorous inquiry and lived experience.