Isabela Munevar, PhD, obtained her degrees in economics and education from Columbia University. She also holds a BA and MA in economics from Los Andes University in Bogotá, Colombia. Currently serving as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard’s Center for International Development, she collaborates with Professor Asim Khwaja and Juan E. Saavedra on the Colombia Education Initiative. In the summer of 2025, she anticipates assuming the assistant professor of economics role at Universidad de los Andes in Chile.
Specializing in the convergence of economics of education, labor, and development economics, Isabela's research focuses on school choice programs. Specifically, she investigates the impacts of attendance at Catholic-run institutions—the world's largest non-governmental school network—versus secular and public schools. Dedicated to uncovering how various school models contribute value-added to students with diverse characteristics, she addresses the pivotal question of optimal educational environments. Moreover, Isabela possesses expertise in the Colombian education system.