Ronald Ferguson

Ronald F. Ferguson (born 1950) in Cleveland, Ohio is an economist who researches factors that affect educational achievement. Major themes in his work include the race-related achievement gap in the United States and how to improve schools and identify effective teachers. Education Ferguson earned an undergraduate degree in economics from Cornell University and a PhD in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Career Ferguson was appointed to Harvard University in 1983. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Education and Public Policy with a joint appointment to the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kennedy School. Ferguson also serves as a fellow for the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy. He is one of the founders and the current faculty director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University. Ferguson sits on the Board of Directors of The Basics, Inc., a nonprofit aimed to improve the basic foundational skills of early childhood caregiving and development, which stems from works of the Academic Gap Initiative. In 2014, Ferguson co-founded The Tripod Education Partners, Inc. Additionally, he is one of the co-owners of Freshpond Education, Inc.