Debbie Cheng joined the Colin Powell School in October 2019. She directs five undergraduate fellowships and one graduate fellowship, as well as the Semester in DC program, all of which support students working toward public service careers. These opportunities enable students to learn about and address pressing issues such as climate change and racial justice. In addition, she oversees the Office of Student Success, launched in Spring 2022, which supports students in their career and professional development. Prior to the Colin Powell School, Cheng was Program Officer of the Mellon Mays Graduate Initiatives Program, based at the Social Science Research Council. She has a PhD from UC Berkeley's Energy and Resources Group, where her research focused on access to water and water privatization in her hometown of Manila, Philippines.

PhD, Energy and Resources Group, University of California Berkeley

MS, Environmental Engineering, Stanford University

SB, Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology