Kate Baca

Policy Analyst, Policy Analysis and Research

303.541.0224kbaca@wiche.edu

Colleen Falkenstern

Director of Evidence and Strategic Initiatives, Policy Analysis and Research

303.541.0313cfalkenstern@wiche.edu

Colleen Falkenstern serves as the Director of Evidence and Strategic Initiatives in WICHE’s Policy Analysis and Research unit. In her role, she leads the unit’s work on a range of postsecondary education data and research initiatives and the development of data resources to support better informed decision-making in the West. These resources include WICHE’s annual collection of tuition and fees data and WICHE’s quadrennial projections of high school graduates, Knocking at the College Door. In her time at WICHE, she has worked on projects supporting Native American Serving Nontribal Institutions, addressing healthcare workforce issues, better alignment between higher education and workforce, and postsecondary completion. She received a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from the University of South Carolina—Columbia and a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Denver.

Molly Hall-Martin

Director, W-SARA, Policy Analysis and Research

303.541.0308mhmartin@wiche.edu

Molly E. Hall-Martin, Ph.D. (Kul Wicasa Oyate/Lower Brule Lakota) serves as Director for the WICHE State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (W-SARA) where she manages the implementation, administration, and oversight of W-SARA. Prior to joining WICHE, Molly served as the Director of Student Preparation & Success for the South Dakota Board of Regents, as a staff member at Lower Brule Community College, and as an intern at the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO). Molly holds a B.A. in American Indian Studies from the University of North Carolina, an M.Ed. in Adult and Higher Education from the University of Oklahoma, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of Iowa.

Sophia Harris

Research Analyst, Policy Analysis and Research

303.541.0272sharris@wiche.edu

Lisa Kirchherr

Administrative Assistant III, Policy Analysis and Research

303.541.0232lkirchherr@wiche.edu

Patrick Lane

Vice President, Policy Analysis and Research

303.541.0266plane@wiche.edu

Patrick Lane is the Vice President of WICHE’s Policy Analysis and Research unit. In this role, he oversees a range of work focused on improving access to and excellence in postsecondary education through sound public policy and research. This portfolio of work includes efforts to improve the value of postsecondary education, address students’ behavioral health needs, increase affordability, and ensure robust regional collaboration. He previously was WICHE’s director of data initiatives leading efforts to improve linkages between state data systems. Prior to this role, he coordinated WICHE’s efforts on adult learners and improving postsecondary access for low-income students. He came to WICHE after spending several years working in education policy in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Lane completed a doctorate in public affairs at the University of Colorado Denver in 2015.

Shelley Plutto

Project Manager, W-SARA, Policy Analysis and Research

303.541.0317splutto@wiche.edu

Christina Sedney

Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Policy Analysis and Research

303.541.0238csedney@wiche.edu

Christina Sedney is the director of policy and strategic initiatives at WICHE, where she supports states and territories across the West in developing, implementing, and sharing solutions to higher education policy challenges. Her portfolio includes state-level approaches to short-term credentials, postsecondary behavioral health, and alignment between postsecondary education and the workforce. Sedney’s past work has ranged from helping states to better serve underrepresented student populations and adult learners to examining higher education governance issues. Prior to WICHE, Sedney worked for international nonprofit Teach For All and completed a fellowship with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. She also held multiple roles with the AmeriCorps program City Year. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley.