About me

I am a Ph.D. student in Public Administration at Rutgers University–Newark, a Fulbright Scholar, and a 2026 Founders’ Fellow of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). I hold a Master’s in Management and Public Policies (MGPP) and a degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Chile, where I am also an adjunct researcher at the Center for Public Systems in the Industrial Engineering Department.

My work sits at the intersection of Behavioral Public Administration, public management, and comparative politics. I study how the organization and management of work within the state shape government performance and citizens’ trust, with a particular focus on Latin America and the United States. Within this agenda I persue two complementary approaches: First, I examine how civil service systems, work arrangements, and performance management practices affect public employees and citizens’ evaluations of government—such as satisfaction, trust, and perceived legitimacy. Second, I analyze local governments, political leadership, and bureaucratic behavior, focusing on how political continuity, civil service rules, and patterns of representation influence strategic planning, resource allocation, and everyday administrative practices. Across these lines, my research is based on a mixed-methods strategy that combines surveys, survey experiments, administrative data, and qualitative fieldwork.

I have led and contributed to research projects funded by international organizations and competitive public research agencies, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Labour Organization (ILO), Chile’s National Agency for Research and Development (ANID), and the Chilean Association of Municipalities. These projects have addressed topics such as telework in the public sector, municipal finance, public employment and civil service reform, and occupational safety and health.

Beyond research and teaching, I am actively involved in academic service and collective projects. At Rutgers, I serve as Vice-President of the PhD Club at the School of Public Affairs and Administration and participate in the Anti-Corruption Student Group. Previously, at the University of Chile, I held elected leadership positions as Vice President of the Industrial Engineering Student Center (CEIN) and as Project Coordinator and Councilor of the Student Federation (FECH).

Thanks for visiting.