Raphael Durval Ribeiro Guimarães is a student at the University of Notre Dame majoring in Economics and Political Science. Guimarães’ research interests explore the intersection of political economy, global development, and democracy. He is currently conducting research with Professor Eva Dziadula, from the department of Economics, on migration and immigrant assimilation in the United States. Through the Student Policy Network, he has also explored issues on institutional democratic backsliding, governance, and migration flows in Central America with the Pulte Institute project.
Beyond research, Guimarães pursued his passion for global development through international fieldwork in Livingstone, Zambia. He worked on African Impact’s poverty alleviation and gender equality projects, helping the local team build and deliver academic curriculum for students and assisting in nutrition programs. In the realm of public policy, the student has interned at a Brazilian congressman's reelection campaign, aligning the national agenda with voters’ priorities to design policy proposals, especially in public security against criminal networks.