#  Home Page 

 



The Education Lab for Latin America (ELLA) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) is committed to connecting researchers and policymakers in advancing education systems across the region through evidence-based research, policy innovation, and collaborative partnerships. Through rigorous academic work and practical policy engagement, we aim to generate evidence to support the development of education systems that adapt to the region's complexities and alleviate education inequalities. The Lab's work is driven by a commitment to building more inclusive and resilient education systems that serve all students, from early childhood to higher education.



 

 

 

       ![Gutman ](/sites/g/files/omnuum12271/files/styles/hwp_21_9__1920x825/public/2025-10/Sq_Gutman001.jpg?itok=Wfao6B8H) 

 

 



 

 



 

#  Our Mission 

ELLA’s mission is to generate knowledge that supports education policies and reforms while training future scholars and policymakers in cutting-edge research methods. We aim to bridge the gap between academic research and the integration of evidence in policy design, adoption, and implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) by producing actionable insights and resources that address current educational needs.



 

##  Our Team 

If your organization is implementing an innovative education policy and program, and is seeking to evaluate their effectiveness, our team and PhD student affiliates can bring their expertise in causal inference, experimental and quasi-experimental research, and education policy analysis to collaborate with your organization on the design, implementation, and assessment of interventions that drive meaningful change on thousands of students.

Harvard Ph.D. Affiliates at ELLA are trained researchers in rigorous impact evaluations, policy experiments, and data-driven insights.

 

 



  [### Emiliana Vegas

 ](/people/emiliana-vegas)Director

 

 

 

      ![Emiliana Vegas](/sites/g/files/omnuum12271/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-10/Screenshot%202025-10-09%20at%2014.52.56.png?itok=sAniVi56) 

 

 

 

   [### Maria-Renée Palomo

 ](/people/maria-renee-palomo)Assistant Director

 

 

 

      ![Maria Renée Palomo](/sites/g/files/omnuum12271/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-10/HGSE%20headshot.jpg?itok=RIFav-QG) 

 

 

 

   [### Alejandro Ganimian

 ](/people/alejandro-ganimian)Professor Affiliate

 

 

 

      ![Alejandro Ganimian headshot](/sites/g/files/omnuum12271/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-10/alejandro_ganimian%20%281%29.jpg?itok=3C2f6BoN) 

 

 

 

   [### Rony Rodríguez 

 ](/people/rony-rodriguez)Ph.D. Affiliate

 

 

 

      ![Rony headhsot](/sites/g/files/omnuum12271/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-10/rony.jpg?itok=U3ptZEFl) 

 

 

 

   [### Joaquin Fariña

 ](/people/joaquin-farina)Ph.D. Affiliate

 

 

 

      ![Joaquin headhsot](/sites/g/files/omnuum12271/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-10/unnamed.jpg?itok=TyY4d5Wx) 

 

 

 

   [### Maria Luisa Zeta 

 ](/people/maria-luisa-zeta)Ph.D. Affiliate

 

 

 

      ![Maria Luisa headhsot](/sites/g/files/omnuum12271/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-10/1726933411942.jpeg?itok=KuUVKMFw) 

 

 

 

   [### Jostin Kitmang

 ](/people/jostin-kitmang)Ph.D. Affiliate

 

 

 

      ![Jostin headshot](/sites/g/files/omnuum12271/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-10/1708705424189.jpeg?itok=FGcoWd7M) 

 

 

 

   [### Karina Gómez

 ](/people/karina-gomez)Ph.D. Affiliate

 

 

 

      ![Karina headshot](/sites/g/files/omnuum12271/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-10/1758679100061.jpeg?itok=VtThljZX) 

 

 

 

   [### Thiago Alves 

 ](/people/thiago-alves)Visiting Affiliate 

 

 

 

      ![Thiago Alves headshot](/sites/g/files/omnuum12271/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-11/Thiago_photo_formal.jpg?itok=O0y0mYR3)