WGU Public Policy

Rosie M. Connor, Ph.D., serves as the Director of Public Policy for WGU. After earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, she began work in the nonprofit sector in Southern California. Her professional career has been dedicated to furthering the efforts of nonprofits in education and healthcare. She earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Southern California and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy from the University of Utah. Her research interests and volunteer involvement include local, national, and global causes affecting underserved and marginalized communities.

Emily Peterson joined Public Policy in March 2022. She worked for almost 12 years at Snow College, where she was the grants officer and supervised the publication of the Snow College Magazine. She also worked for the Utah Legislature in the Office of the Legislative Auditor General. Emily has a J.D. from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and communication degrees from the University of Utah.

Janie Harris joined Public Policy in November 2022. Prior to WGU, she served as the director of advancement at Snow College where she directed alumni relations and fundraising efforts for the Snow College Foundation. Janie earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration through Utah State University and Master of Public Administration degree, with an emphasis in higher education administration, from Southern Utah University.

Margaret Hsiao joined Public Policy in March 2022. She has been at WGU for 14 years and previously worked in program development. Margaret earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Utah and is pursuing a doctorate in technical communication and rhetoric at Utah State University.

Adam Torres has over 15 years of experience in community engagement and advocacy. With WGU, he engages community organizations with a mission of advancing equity and access for all learners. At the New York City Department of Youth & Community Development, Adam partnered with numerous entities to manage citywide communications to launch comprehensive emergency services during the COVID-19 crisis. During his downtime, Adam enjoys running, playing video games, and (unsuccessfully) trying to beat his son in the board game Trouble.

Alejandra Adán, M.S. Ed, has over 15 years of experience as a community advocate, program manager, and biliterate communications project lead. Originally from Puerto Rico, she has worked in a variety of nonprofit settings and is committed to influencing cultures of inclusion and building trust and transparency within programs, communities, and people.  She holds a B.A. in liberal arts from the University of Texas at Austin; an M.S. Ed from Bank Street College of Education; a DEI in the Workplace certificate from the University of Florida, MUMA College of Business; and is currently participating in Leadership Austin’s Essential program. 

Amanda Hildebrandt joined WGU as the senior community relations liaison in 2022. She brings a wealth of experience, both professionally and personally, as she works closely with like-minded organizations to create pathways to opportunity and strengthen communities through education, particularly among underserved and marginalized populations. She has worked in higher education for more than 10 years. Her roles have primarily consisted of access and outreach, which are two major challenges that she experienced during her own educational journey. Amanda has a B.A. in speech communications from Metropolitan State University.