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Diane Cheng is the Vice President of Research and Policy at the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP). In this role, she leads IHEP’s research and policy team. Prior to joining IHEP, Diane served as the Research Director at The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), where she coordinated research work across the organization and conducted research on college affordability, student debt, and student success. She has participated in several Technical Review Panels for the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to improve higher education data and served as a technical advisor for two of ED’s negotiated rulemaking committees. Diane also worked as an independent research consultant, where she partnered with nonprofit organizations, foundations, and a community college on projects relating to college affordability, student success, and higher education data.

Diane graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. and M.A. in Sociology, specializing in social stratification and inequality.

Throughout her career, Diane has been driven by the ways that high-quality research can support policy measures to ensure that students of all backgrounds are able to access and benefit from a postsecondary education. Outside of work, she volunteers with IMPACT Bay Area, a nonprofit organization teaching self-defense skills, and her local food bank. Diane also enjoys biking around San Francisco, swing dancing, and sending snail mail.