S. Kiersten Ferguson is a social scientist for the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and a research associate in the College of Engineering & Applied Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her scholarly and teaching interests include gender equity and inclusion in higher education; diversity planning and implementation with a focus on systemic organizational change; recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and students; and inclusive pedagogical and curricular choices in higher education.

Prior to joining NCWIT in 2023, Kiersten was a clinical associate professor in the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development at Southern Methodist University (SMU) teaching graduate level courses and leading the M.Ed. in Higher Education program. Throughout her time at SMU, she received numerous teaching awards including the Provost’s Teaching Recognition Award in 2021, which honors full-time non-tenure-track faculty who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and a consummate dedication to teaching and learning. In addition, she served as Provost Faculty Fellow for Equity and Inclusion with the Associate Provost for Faculty Success.

Ferguson has a PhD in Higher Education Administration & Doctoral Portfolio Concentration in Women’s & Gender Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, an MEd in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. Cultural Anthropology and Government & International Relations from the University of Notre Dame.