Zoila Ponce de Leon

Zoila Ponce de Leon is an Assistant Professor in Public Policy at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), University of Pittsburgh. She holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Political Science and is affiliated with the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS). Previously, she served as an assistant professor at W&L University.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Political Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• M.A. in Political Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• B.A. in Political Science, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Her research centers on comparative social policy, with a focus on healthcare and migration in Latin America. She investigates how political institutions, party dynamics, and public opinion shape policy outcomes in new democracies. Her work combines qualitative field research—including over 150 elite interviews—with experimental and comparative methods to understand policy implementation and citizen engagement. She is particularly interested in the interplay between technocratic governance and democratic accountability.

Her recent publications span key areas in political science and public policy, showing a clear trend toward analyzing institutional drivers of healthcare reform and gender disparities in political responsiveness. Her work bridges academic rigor with real-world policy implications, especially in Latin American contexts.

Scientific Awards:

• Journal of Latin American Studies Best Article Prize
• John Patrick Hagan Award for Outstanding Teaching

Her research has been funded by the Centennial Center at the American Political Science Association (APSA), the Social and Economic Research Consortium (CIES), W&L University (Lenfest Grants), and UNC-Chapel Hill (Mellon Dissertation Fellowship, Burbank Research Fellowship, Uhlman Summer Research Awards, Tinker Foundation Field Research Grant). She teaches courses such as PIA 0101: How Public Policy Works and PIA 3121: Policy Theory. She has contributed to public discourse through media outlets including The Washington Post, The Conversation, Al Jazeera, and the European Politics and Policy LSE Blog.

She is affiliated with the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), where she contributes to interdisciplinary research and academic programming focused on Latin America. Her ongoing book project, Political Parties and Policy Reform: Expansion of Healthcare in Latin America, under review at Cambridge University Press, exemplifies her deep engagement with policy analysis and democratic governance.