Redevelopment of Norris University Center’s East Lawn to begin this summer
April 5, 2024
David Figlio, the Orrington Lunt Professor of Education and Social Policy in the School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) and Faculty Fellow of the Institute for Policy Research, takes the helm today as dean of SESP at Northwestern University. He succeeds Penelope Peterson, who served Northwestern for 20 years in that leadership role.
Related: Figlio announced as new dean of SESP
Figlio has served as director of the Institute for Policy Research since 2012, leading significant change, including restructuring support staff roles, establishing new systems of shared governance and decision-making, launching new collaborations with other institutes and schools across Northwestern, and spearheading collaborative ventures with partners, including the Evanston and Chicago public school districts.
Related: Diane Schanzenbach takes over today as director of the Institute
Figlio is immediate Past President of the Association for Education Finance and Policy and co-leads a National Science Foundation network of policymakers, practitioners and scholars regarding the use of administrative data in educational research. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Human Resources and was the founding Co-Editor of Education Finance and Policy, the journal of the Association for Education Finance and Policy.
“I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to lead the outstanding faculty, students and staff at SESP,” Figlio said. “The diversity of the research and service conducted by our faculty in learning sciences, human development, and education and social policy, along with the impact that our work has and will continue to have, is astounding.”
“The School of Education and Social Policy provides undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to engage directly with faculty in their work,” Figlio added. “Students graduate with an education that empowers them to engage with their communities and the world in all its complexity. The combination of research, teaching and outreach that is conducted across the school enables all members of the school to have a role in making the world a better place.”
