Email: cr4017@nyu.edu
Program: PhD in Psychology and Social Intervention
Year Entered Program: 2026
Research Interests: Education, Poverty & Inequality, Policy
Principal Advisor(s): Dr. Florencia Lopez Boo
Research Description/Bio:
Carolina Rivas Herrera conducts research on the sources of educational inequality and evaluates social policies aimed at reducing poverty. Her work combines rigorous quantitative analysis, causal inference, quasi-experimental methods, and behavioral sciences to assess social interventions and identify mechanisms shaping educational and socioeconomic outcomes. She is particularly interested in how empirical evidence can inform the design, targeting, and implementation of policies that improve welfare in the most vulnerable contexts. More recently, she has been exploring how digital technologies are changing decision-making and the implications for children.
Carolina holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Education from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Center for Research and Teaching Economics (CIDE). Prior to NYU, she conducted research at NYU Global TIES for Children and worked on data analysis and policy evaluation related to poverty and human capital at the Inter-American Development Bank, El Colegio de México, and Mexico’s Ministry of Finance.