Fernanda Soares

Fernanda Soares serves as an Assistant Research Professor with the Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child in the Institute for Educational Initiatives. Fernanda is a principal investigator on single and multi-country studies that build evidence to address USAID’s education learning agendas in collaboration with the Pulte Institute for Global Development. With over a decade of experience in low-resource, crisis, and conflict-affected settings, Fernanda has developed deep methodological expertise and a proven track record in translating research into practice, in service to reducing the adverse effects of poverty. 

Currently, Fernanda's research focuses on the implementation, effectiveness, scalability and sustainability of educational interventions that enhance both teacher practices and student outcomes in the Global South. Her specific areas of interest include teacher professional development (TPD), oral language and reading comprehension in multilingual contexts, remedial education, and the long-term effects of interventions in early childhood and primary education. Through her research and evaluation work, she employs a variety of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches to conduct formative studies, impact assessments, implementation science research and development of measurement tools.

Before joining Notre Dame, Fernanda worked with prominent international organizations such as Family Health International 360, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Organization of American States. In her previous roles, she supported global teams in developing evaluation designs and research strategies, designing appropriate measurement tools and surveys, conducting formative qualitative research, and effectively translating research findings for diverse audiences.