Wendy Wheaton, PhD
Dr. Wendy Wheaton is a seasoned leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing international education and protection standards in conflict and crisis-affected settings. She has held prominent representational roles at the inter-agency level within both humanitarian and development sectors and has made significant contributions to academic and technical working groups specializing in child protection, mental health and psychosocial support, and education.
Dr. Wheaton’s expertise encompasses the development of international standards, program design, applied research, needs assessment, knowledge management, and the monitoring and evaluation of initiatives in complex environments. Her field experience spans numerous countries, including Kosovo, Ethiopia, the Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Nigeria, Chad, Burundi, Guinea, Niger, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Middle East.
In addition to her applied work, Dr. Wheaton has served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and is a frequent guest lecturer at George Washington University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is fluent in spoken French.
Graduate Courses Taught
SIT Graduate Institute: Global Governance and Human Security
Select Publications
Wheaton, W., Miller, A., Enelamah, N., Betancourt, T.S. (2022). Interpersonal Violence and Forced Displacement. In: Geffner, R., White, J.W., Hamberger, L.K., Rosenbaum, A., Vaughan-Eden, V., Vieth, V.I. (eds) Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89999-2_315
Betancourt TS, Yudron M, Wheaton W, Smith-Fawzi MC. Caregiver and adolescent mental health in Ethiopian Kunama refugees participating in an emergency education program. J Adolesc Health. 2012 Oct;51(4):357-65. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.01.001. Epub 2012 Mar 22. PMID: 22999836.
Olayemi, Moses, Melissa Tucker, Mamour Choul, Tom Purekal, Arlene Benitez, Wendy Wheaton, and Jennifer DeBoer. 2021. “Creating a Tool to Measure Children’s Wellbeing: A PSS Intervention in South Sudan.” Journal on Education in Emergencies 7 (2): 104-51.https://doi.org/10.33682/rhqb-fy8u
Stark L, Roberts L, Wheaton W, Acham A, Boothby N, Ager A. Measuring violence against women amidst war and displacement in northern Uganda using the “neighbourhood method”. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2010 Dec;64(12):1056-61. doi: 10.1136/jech.2009.093799. Epub 2009 Nov 24. PMID: 19934172.
The Role of Education in Peacebuilding: Literature Review © United Nations Children’s Fund, New York, 2011 United Nations Children’s Fund Three United Nations Plaza New York, New York 10017 May 2011 The project researchers for this Literature Review were Professor Alan Smith, Team Leader, with Erin McCandless, Julia Paulson and Wendy Wheaton.
Wheaton W, Evans DP, Anderson M. Protection. In: Townes D, ed. Health in Humanitarian Emergencies: Principles and Practice for Public Health and Healthcare Practitioners. Cambridge University Press; 2018:214-226.
Wheaton, W., & Mosselson, J. (2009). Literacy for adults in fragile states: Design adaptations for successful implementation. Journal of Education for International Development, 4(1).
Mosselson, J., Wheaton, W., et.al. (2009). Education and fragility: A synthesis of the literature. Journal of Education for International Development, 4(1), 1-17.
Wheaton, W. L. (2021). The power of perception: social cohesion, child protection and access to education in conflict-affected communities in South Sudan.
Burde, D., Guven, O., Kelcey, J., Lahmann, H., & Al-Abbadi, K. (2015). What works to promote children’s educational access, quality of learning, and wellbeing in crisis-affected contexts? Education Rigorous Literature Review, Department for International Development. London: Department for International Development. Contributor.
Select Presentations
Global Education Cluster Meetings and Cluster Coordinator Trainings April (London) , May (Oslo),
October (Geneva), November (Geneva) in 2010 as a Trainer/Presenter
Oxford University, UKFIET Conference, presented on the Education Cluster (2010)
UNHCR & Refugee Education Trust Conferences, presented the Education Cluster (2010)
Harvard University School of Public Health Inter-Agency Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies Guidelines (2009)
Tufts University, presented on Child Soldiers Programming & Practice (2009)
Research Interests
Research experience in adolescent psychosocial well-being
Education in emergency program evaluation
Prevalence of gender-based violence
Peacebuilding and education
Recovery processes for former child soldiers in Sierra Leone
Education
- PhD, Education, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- MIA, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
- BA, Rutgers College, Rutgers University
