Emily Ferris is the Director of the What Works Cities City Experience team. Previously, she was the Assistant Director of the Center for Systems and Community Design housed at the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. In this role, she managed a portfolio of research projects focused on improving health outcomes through design thinking and systems science. Prior to that, Emily supported school wellness work at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and taught kindergarten.

A native Pennsylvanian, Emily received her BS in Health Sciences and French from Guilford College and her MPH in Health Policy and Management from Hunter College.