Ross Finnie

Ross Finnie is a Full Professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, affiliated with the Faculty of Social Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1989), an M.A. from the same institution (1984), and a B.A. (Hons.) in Economics from Queen's University (1979). His career includes prior roles at Laval, Carleton, and Queen's Universities.

His research focuses on post-secondary education access, K-12 outcomes, student pathways, and post-graduation labor market outcomes. He develops predictive models to identify at-risk students and evaluates student support initiatives, with a focus on disadvantaged groups. His work employs linked education-tax administrative data. Other areas include skills development, poverty, income inequality, income support programs, labor mobility, and public economics.

He serves as a Research Fellow at the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC), Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), and C.D. Howe Institute. He advises Statistics Canada’s Postsecondary Education Statistics Committee, Employment and Social Development Canada’s Learning Advisory Committee, the Labour Market Information Council, and the C.D. Howe Institute’s Human Capital Council.

Teaching includes graduate courses like Microeconomics for Public Policy and Education Policy Research Seminar. Over 150 publications span topics from STEM career choices to ICT workforce analysis and policy frameworks for economic competitiveness.