Dr. Nonie Lesaux

Biography

Nonie K. Lesaux is the Roy E. Larsen Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) and the 13th dean of the institution. Having been part of the HGSE faculty since 2003, Lesaux's research focuses on innovative strategies to improve learning opportunities and literacy outcomes for children and youth. Her teaching emphasizes literacy development reform, early learning, and leading system-level change. Lesaux collaborates with school districts to investigate aspects like language acquisition, reading, social-emotional development, classroom quality, and academic growth, employing strategies to enhance language and reading comprehension skills. She engages with states and communities, bringing tools and concepts from improvement science to bolster literacy initiatives and policy efforts, including grade-level reading campaigns and birth-to-eight early learning initiatives. Lesaux co-directs the Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative at HGSE, which addresses the global challenge of scaling and improving the quality of early education. She began her deanship officially in March 2025 after serving as acting interim dean since July 1, 2024. Previously, she was the Juliana W. William Foss Thompson Professor of Education in Society and held the Larsen chair since 2021.

Research Interests

Experience