Morgan Named New Director of SDP

The Strategic Data Project (SDP), a program of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, announced today that Nicholas Morgan will be the new executive director beginning August 1. Based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, SDP partners with school districts, charter networks, state agencies, and nonprofits to bring high-quality research methods and data analysis to bear on strategic management and policy decisions. After a decade’s experience working in the education sector to strengthen management practice, Morgan will lead SDP through its next phase of growth.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to take on this role at such a critical time for the field of education and for SDP in particular,” Morgan said. “I feel that SDP is uniquely positioned to make a lasting impact on how data is used to guide education policy and management.”

Morgan was most recently a managing director with the District Management Council (DMC), a network of leading school districts nationwide. He joined DMC at the firm’s inception in 2004, and led a broad range of research and consulting services to help improve the management of the nation’s public school systems. He worked with districts around the country on strategic planning, human capital, and resource allocation initiatives to improve student outcomes and operating efficiency.

Recently, Morgan also served as the founding editorial director of the District Management Journal, a magazine highlighting innovative practices in district management and leadership.

Since 2007, Morgan has worked as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. He began his career working in strategy consulting positions with the Parthenon Group and Arthur D. Little Inc. In addition, he is a former trustee of the Boston Collegiate Charter School, and currently serves as a trustee at the Newton Montessori School.

Morgan holds a BA in economics from McGill University and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.