Michelle Asha Cooper
Michelle Asha Cooper is an advocate for more accessible and affordable college education in the United States, especially for students from groups underrepresented at those institutions. Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, she has been the vice president of public policy at the non-profit Lumina Foundation since October 3, 2022. Before that, she was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs and Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education. She had previously served as president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), a Washington, D.C.–based independent, non-profit organization.