My research combines quantitative and qualitative methods to better understand inequalities in education and gender economics, and to identify effective public policies that can reduce them. I apply causal inference approaches in policy evaluation, including experimental methods and natural experiment settings, and complement them with qualitative analyses of laws, policies, and stakeholder perspectives.
Collaborating with other researchers, I focus on inequalities in secondary and tertiary education, on gender gaps in economic outcomes, and on the mechanisms through which socioeconomic conditions and social norms contribute to the transmission of inequalities across generations. My work often involves the analysis of large administrative datasets on students (and households -- work in progress!) at different stages of life, which I integrate with additional sources to provide a comprehensive picture of the challenges and opportunities within educational systems and labor markets.
Working Papers & Ongoing Projects
Work in progress
[1] How Gender Norms Shape Educational Achievement: A Causal Analysis Through Peer Influence (ongoing, with Rattini, V.)
Abstract: This paper studies how gender norms transmitted through peer environments shape students' educational choices. Using longitudinal administrative data on five cohorts of Italian students and an instrumental variable strategy based on excluded peers, we identify the causal effect of exposure to classmates whose mothers work in gender-segregated occupations. We find that exposure to peers with mothers employed in male-dominated occupations improves students' performance in mathematics and literacy, increases enrollment in academically demanding high school tracks, and raises the likelihood of choosing STEM-oriented scientific tracks. These effects are strongest among lower- and middle-achieving students and are amplified within same-gender peer networks, consistent with mechanisms of social norms and role model transmission. Overall, the findings suggest that structured interactions in schools -- such as career talks in which mothers employed in male-dominated occupations share their professional experiences -- may help reduce gender gaps in STEM participation.
[2] Driving Integration and Influence: Policy Diffusion, Entrepreneurship, and Europe's Soft Power through European University Alliances (with Cino Pagliarello, M., and Gunn, A.) — Revise & Resubmit, European Policy Analysis
[3] On the Impact of High School on Academic Performance (ongoing, with Bonacini, L., and Pignataro, G.)
[4] University Students in Pandemic Times (ongoing, with Bonacini, L., and Pignataro, G.)
[5] The Effect of Anticipating Performance Requirements in Need-based Grants: A Natural Experiment (ongoing, with Bonacini, L., and Pignataro, G.)
Completed projects
[1] Gender Differences in Motivation and Academic Performance — AEA RCT Registry AEARCTR-0011431 (2023, with Bernhofer, J., Bonacini, L., and Pignataro, G.)
For a list of selected research projects and publications, please see my CV.