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Wesley Whistle is the Project Director for Student Success and Affordability in the Higher Education program at ¹ú²úÊÓƵ. He works to advance ¹ú²úÊÓƵ's strategy on student success and affordability, including researching and advocating for policies and evidence-based policies to improve student outcomes, strengthen accountability, and lower the cost of college.

Prior to rejoining ¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Whistle was a Policy Advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, where he worked on regulations, enforcement actions, budget proposals, and more covering a range of higher education issues. He previously served as the Education Advisor to U.S. Senator Bob Casey. Before moving to DC, Whistle was a higher education administrator at colleges and universities in Kentucky, working on accreditation, federal and state reporting, and assessment. 

Whistle earned his master’s degree in Public Administration, with a concentration in Education Policy, from the University of Kentucky and his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Kentucky Wesleyan College. He is currently a PhD candidate in Higher Education at the University of Kentucky. His experience as a Pell Grant recipient and first-generation college graduate informs his work every day.