Dr. LesLeigh Ford
LesLeigh Ford, PhD is an associate director in the Office of Race and Equity Research (ORER) at the Urban Institute, where she examines philanthropic and nonprofit trends and racial disparities in opportunity. Ford regularly leads and contributes to research and policy advising projects that explore sources of and solutions to racial inequities in access and opportunity. Her previous work includes evaluations of philanthropic and government-funded grant programs and research and advising to inform funder decision-making and practice. Ford has led research in ORER focused on a range of racial equity–focused topics, including advancing racial wealth equity, analyzing Asian American and Pacific Islander justice–focused organizations, diversifying the health care workforce, and expanding the Black maternal health workforce. Ford earned her BA in political science and English from the University of Michigan, MEd in education policy and management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and PhD in sociology from Duke University.
