Katherine Cheng

Katherine R. Cheng joined the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance in 2020. Her research centers on co-governance and local climate policy, with a focus on identifying approaches that support community-informed strategies for climate adaptation. Her dissertation examines how counties across the U.S. collaborate with community partners to develop and implement efforts to combat extreme heat. Beyond her dissertation, Katherine works with UW faculty and practitioners to study Washington’s pilot cohort of community assemblies, oriented around environmental justice issues. Her previous work includes studying how science is translated and applied to policy within ecosystem partnerships in the Puget Sound region, as well as conducting Fulbright research on women’s socio-economic empowerment in northeastern Brazil. Before joining the Evans School, Katherine worked with nonprofits in California, Washington DC, and Georgia.