Kate Westaby

Kate Westaby is a graduate student in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) department. She studies higher education access, persistence, and policies related to young mothers and parenting students. Given the significant disparities in persistence for these populations, she is interested in reducing stigma and increasing belonging on campuses for young parents. Kate’s background is in program evaluation and she conducts evaluation for local organizations. Her evaluation work has influenced evaluation practices in Wisconsin, helped understand the impact of equity practices for a local school district, guided a local funder on strategic funding, and informed change at a local community center. Kate enjoys learning how to do home renovation projects and playing with her goldendoodle.