About Professor Alejandro J. Ganimian
Alejandro J. Ganimian is an Assistant Professor of Applied Psychology and Economics at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. He serves as the Program Director of the master’s in Human Development Research and Policy and as the Faculty Lead of the Education Policy Group.
Dr. Ganimian earned his doctorate in Quantitative Policy Analysis in Education, with a concentration in economics, from Harvard University, where he was a fellow in the Multidisciplinary Program in Inequality and Social Policy. He holds a master’s in Educational Research from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Gates Scholar, and a bachelor’s in International Politics from Georgetown University. He also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).
His research focuses on addressing critical challenges in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), particularly the transition from schooling to learning for all. Dr. Ganimian aims to ensure that "first-generation learners" develop the necessary academic and social-emotional skills to participate fully in the economy and society. He employs cutting-edge experimental designs from economics to evaluate the causal effects of policies and programs at scale, combined with innovative measures from education and psychology to advance understanding of key outcomes and mechanisms.
Dr. Ganimian's research interests include preparing children and youths for each education level, supporting teachers in large classes with varying levels of achievement, and encouraging principals to allocate resources to students in need. His work has been published in prestigious journals such as the American Economic Review, the Journal of Political Economy, and the World Bank Economic Review.
Collaborating closely with governments and non-profits, particularly in Latin America and South Asia, Dr. Ganimian conducts his studies to launch, expand, or modify initiatives that impact large numbers of students. His expertise has been recognized through various appointments and affiliations, including as a National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow and as an Advisory Board member at the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture (OEI). He has consulted for international organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank, among others. Dr. Ganimian's contributions extend to his membership in the CESifo Network on Economics of Education based at the University of Munich and as a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution.
