I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Economics at the University of Notre Dame.  I work at the intersection of Development Economics, Labor, and Education. My current research agenda focuses on the broad impacts of expanding access to education in low- and middle-income countries, spanning outcomes such as educational attainment, political engagement, and the inclusion of students with disabilities.

I am a 2026 NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellow and a graduate student affiliate of the Building Inclusive Growth (BIG) Lab and the Kellogg Institute for International Studies.

Email: vvidalme@nd.edu