Whitney Hough

Research Discipline/Bio

My research centers around the intersection of education, conflict, development, and peacebuilding. I focus specifically on the agency of teachers in conflict-affected contexts, the provision of high-quality secondary education in emergencies, and the transformative role of education in protracted conflict. Outside of the doctoral program, I have worked in the international education and nonprofit sectors for over 15 years and am currently the Deputy Project Director for Fulbright Teacher Exchanges at IREX, a global international education development nonprofit.

Educational Background

Master of Philosophy, Comparative and International Education, Teachers College, 2024
Post Graduate Certificate, Nonprofit Management, Northeastern University, 2015
M.A., Conflict, Security and Development, University of Bradford, United Kingdom, 2012
B.A., Psychology and Cross-Cultural Studies, Carleton College, 2009

Honors/Awards

Peace and Security Scholar, United States Institute of Peace/Minerva Research Initiative, 2024-2025

Publications/Exhibitions

Henderson, C., & Hough, W. (2025). On the Precipice of Progress: Policy Openings that Improve Forcibly Displaced Adolescent and Youth Enrollment and Retention in Secondary Education. UNHCR and Plan International.

Hough, W. (2025). The PeaceJam Foundation: An analytical program review through a Transformative Peace Education lens. Current Issues in Comparative Education.

Mansour, S., Hough, W., & Dorombaeva, A. (2024). Borrowing money - borrowing ideas: The economics of policy transfer in the Global South. In Handbook of Comparative Education. Edward Elgar Publishers

Henderson, C. Mansour, S. & Hough, W. (2023). The missing piece: Secondary education in crisis contexts. UNHCR, Plan International, UNICEF

Hough, W. (2023). Review of School Leadership for Refugees’ Education: Social Justice Leadership for Immigrants, Migrants and Refugees. Current Issues in Comparative Education

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2025