AGE: 31
OCCUPATION: Harvard University economics professor
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 0
PRO: The youngest African American to earn tenure at Harvard, Fryer published landmark studies on the role of race in education. Now he's turned his attention to New York City's public-school system in the hopes of determining whether financial incentives can successfully motivate students.
CON: Some teachers bristle at the notion of paying for performance.