University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education

Dr. Katrina Struloeff is a senior education leader, researcher, and innovation strategist with more than 18 years of experience working at the intersection of teaching, talent, and technology across K–12 education, higher education, nonprofit organizations, and policy contexts. She currently serves as Director of Growth & Impact for Catalyst at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, where she leads cross-center initiatives to design, fund, and scale evidence-based programs aligned with workforce preparation, community engagement, innovation for the public good, and education’s role in democracy. Her leadership centers human-centered design, design-based research, and system-level innovation that translates complex strategies into practical, educator-centered solutions. Dr. Struloeff holds a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy from Drexel University, a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College, and a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Gonzaga University. Her scholarly work examines intersectional leadership, belonging, civic education, and school–community partnerships, with particular attention to how leaders navigate change, crisis, and reform. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes and has presented her work nationally and internationally. Prior to her current role, Dr. Struloeff spent seven years as a middle and high school administrator in New Orleans public charter schools, serving as a senior leader responsible for operations, facilities, enrollment, and strategic partnerships in communities facing persistent inequities. This practitioner experience continues to ground her applied approach to leadership development, organizational design, and policy implementation. Across her career, she has worked within school districts, higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and industry-based research partnerships, including roles with the School District of Philadelphia, Perkins Eastman, Drexel University, and national community school initiatives. A central throughline of Dr. Struloeff’s work is the use of Continuous Improvement and communities of practice as mechanisms for sustainable change. She has designed and facilitated inquiry-based learning communities that bring educators, researchers, and system leaders together to surface practice-informed evidence, strengthen professional learning, and build collective capacity around equity, belonging, and instructional improvement. Her work emphasizes ethical decision-making, collaborative leadership, and the responsible integration of emerging technologies, including a growing focus on the implications of artificial intelligence for teaching, learning, and educational systems. In recognition of her global education leadership, Dr. Struloeff was selected as a 2026–2027 Fulbright Specialist by the U.S. Department of State. In this role, she will support capacity-building at Central University of Sierra Leone through postgraduate curriculum development, faculty development, quality assurance, and institutional partnership building. Across local, national, and global contexts, Dr. Struloeff is a trusted partner to educators, researchers, and system leaders navigating ambiguity, innovation, and change at scale, with a sustained commitment to mentoring leaders and building systems that advance equity, democratic participation, and global collaboration.