Fergus Murphy

Fergus Murphy is a senior economist in SRI International's Center for Science, Technology, and Economic Development. Murphy is a specialist in local, urban, and regional economic development and policy, and advises on local and regional development strategic planning, program and project development, best practices, public-private partnerships, institutional development and governance.

Murphy has worked both in the U.S. and internationally for national, regional, and local governments in the areas of economic and workforce development policy and practice, program implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. He has experience aligning regional workforce systems with economic development objectives; advising on public-private and nonprofit partnerships for local economic development; and devising institutional programs for, and approaches to, priority industry development.

Prior to joining SRI, Murphy was principal consultant with LED Associates, a research consulting practice. He has worked for the World Bank, the International Economic Development Council, the Policy Research Institute, Leeds, and national and regional governments in the United Kingdom.

He received a B.Sc. (with honors) in Town and Country Planning from the School of Planning and Housing at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, an M.A. in economic development and policy from the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, University of Birmingham, and a diploma in research methodologies from the Policy Research Institute, Leeds Metropolitan University, U.K., where he is completing a doctoral degree.