Prior to joining School of Public Health and Health Services in 2006, Ms. Ferguson had spent most of her professional life in the public sector, most recently as Commissioner of the Department of Public Health in Massachusetts, where she served under Governor Mitt Romney. In that capacity, she led initiatives addressing public health emergencies, including SARS and influenza vaccine shortages, and created regional health coalitions for emergency preparedness. She was also very involved in initiatives to enhance patient safety, restructure substance abuse services, and strengthen early childhood programs.

In an earlier post, she ran the Rhode Island Department of Human Services, providing critical programs for low-income families, children, senior citizens, veterans and the disabled. Rhode Island's innovative achievements in health care, Medicaid managed care, early education and child care and welfare reforms were widely recognized during her tenure. Of particular note, Rhode Island had the nation's highest percentage of children with health care coverage. Ms. Ferguson also served as counsel and deputy chief of staff to the late U.S. Senator John H. Chafee and was instrumental in developing a bipartisan health reform proposal in the 1990s.

Her accomplishments have been recognized by Faulkner & Gray's Healthcare, which called her "one of the most influential health policymakers," and by National Law Journal, which named her one of the nation's 100 most influential lawyers. Ms. Ferguson was also named one of the top 25 "most influential working mothers" by Working Mothers magazine.

Education Bachelor of Arts (History, Political Science), University of Michigan, 1980 Juris Doctor, The American University, 1986