Hailing from Ecuador and Venezuela, María Rivadeneira holds a Bachelor in Sociology with concentration in Development from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador. Over the years, she has made significant contributions to several organizations, including GIZ, UNDP, UNV and de Local Government in Quito – Ecuador. Her interests include a variety of topics related to sustainable development as poverty, inequality, universal access to services, and gender equality.
María’s previous professional experience include project management and project design on issues like gender equality, international affairs, social and economic inclusion. Before coming to Notre Dame, María served in the entity responsible for implementing social policies for vulnerable groups in the Municipality of Quito. In this capacity, she managed international and national cooperation agreements, design a volunteer program, and contributed to the design of social intervention projects in areas related to Childhood Development, Gender-Based violence, Youth affairs, Homelessness, Migration and Child labor. After this valuable and challenging experience, María’s has strengthened her commitment to addressing inequalities and make significant impact in her work and research.