Rita Schmutz

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Social Sciences at the University of Lausanne, where I combine research and practical experience to explore how policies shape social inequality. My expertise centers on quantitative methods, with a particular focus on causal inference and computational approaches. My research interests include education and early childhood policies, child development, and social stratification.

My work examines how policy evaluation can reveal critical gaps between policy design and implementation, leading to differing outcomes that influence social equity. My thesis shows that early childhood education has the potential to be a powerful equalizer, though variations in policy implementation significantly affect this potential. Similarly, education policies within compulsory schooling can either reduce or exacerbate inequalities, depending on how they are structured and executed. I aim to turn these insights into evidence-based policymaking, ensuring that policies achieve their intended outcomes without producing unintended consequences that widen inequality gaps. 

Drawing on hands-on experience from roles in government in Brazil and Switzerland, as well as within United Nations organizations, I have monitored and evaluated policies across various fields. These experiences directly inform my research, grounding my academic work in real-world challenges and reinforcing my commitment to fostering social equity through informed policy decisions.