Katherine Von Ofenheim boasts a background in education and youth leadership which later translated into a career in program development for universities and nonprofits with a focus on the Middle East.

Her interest in public policy and the Middle East began at the UO after she chose Arabic to fulfill the language requirement for her international studies program. During her sophomore year, Von Ofenheim traveled to Bahrain to lead youth programs and developed a love for travel which inspired her to spend a semester abroad in Jordan and, later, to intern at an Arab women’s rights organization in Israel. A subsequent experience in Cairo, post-revolution, prompted her to write her senior thesis: “Historical Context for the Responses of the Syrian and Egyptian Armies during the Arab Spring.”

Following graduation from the UO, Von Ofenheim taught at the West Bank, worked with civil society organizations in Tunisia, ran programs for independent artists in Egypt, promoted women entrepreneurship through youth programming, consulted on countering violent extremism, and coordinated humanitarian assistance for Syrian refugees in Turkey. In 2021, she was part of a major effort to evacuate foreign citizens and vulnerable populations from Afghanistan after its governmental collapse.