Alejandra Mizala is the Provost of the Universidad de Chile and a Full Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering of the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. She is also an associate researcher at the Center for Advanced Research in Education (CIAE). She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a degree in Economics from the University of Chile.

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Her academic leadership includes founding and serving as the first Director of the Institute of Education (2017–2022) and directing the Center for Advanced Research in Education (2015–2022). She previously headed the Department of Industrial Engineering (2011–2015), directed the Center for Applied Economics during two periods (1990–1995 and 2006–2011), and co-founded and directed the Master’s program in Management and Public Policy (1996–2011).

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She has received multiple distinctions throughout her career. The Universidad de Chile awarded her the Amanda Labarca Medal of Merit (2015), recognizing women who have made outstanding contributions to the country. More recently, she received the Enrique Silva Ortega Lifetime Achievement Award from the Department of Industrial Engineering (2025); an Honorary Doctorate from the Universidad de Tarapacá for her contributions to public policy evaluation, particularly in education (2024); and a lifetime achievement award from the Faculty of Economics and Business of the Universidad de Chile (2024). She has been a member of the Faculty’s Circle of Honor since 2015.

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She has played leading roles in several national and international organizations. She served as Chair of the Board of Comunidad Mujer (2021–2023); member and later Vice President of the Chilean National Council for Science and Technology (2015–2019); member of the Executive Committee of the Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Association (2011–2015); co-founder and President of the Chilean Economic Society (2004–2005); and member of the Council of the National Fund for Science and Technology (2006–2009). She also served on the Superior Board of the Universidad de O’Higgins (2017–2022). She has participated in several presidential commissions, including those on pension reform, education reform, and labor and equity issues. In 2025, she served as Chair of the Technical Commission on Gender-Gap-Free Education and contributed to the Advisory Council responsible for the Higher Education Development Strategy.

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Her research centers on the economics of education, with a particular focus on the educational consequences of Chile’s school choice policy, the impact of education reforms on quality and equity, the teacher labor market, and gender equality in education. She has published extensively, including numerous academic articles, book chapters, and two books.

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She has worked as a consultant for international organizations, including the World Bank, IDB, ECLAC, and UNESCO, as well as for foreign governments and the Chilean Ministry of Education.