Katherine Wheatle, Ph.D. is a former strategy officer for federal policy and equity at Lumina Foundation.
While at Lumina, Wheatle supported the development and advancement of the foundation’s federal policy priorities to increase education attainment and affordability. In this role, she has worked with key federal policy and research partners, civil rights organizations, student advocacy groups, intermediaries, think tanks, and other policy advocates to enhance understanding of racial equity and deepen the collective commitment to achieving it. Her work was central to the foundation’s Equity First framework, which embeds racial equity and justice in all aspects of Lumina’s work.
A first-generation college graduate, Wheatle holds a bachelor’s degree in African and African American studies from Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree in health policy and health service research from Emory University, and a doctorate in higher education from Indiana University. Her intellectual and research pursuits explore the history of race and racism enacted through higher education policy.
