Fiorella Pizzolon, who holds a bachelor's degree in economics, is a research assistant at the Inter-American Development Bank. She previously worked at the Center for Economic Research and received a grant from the National Agency for Research and Innovation.
-What is your current job title?
-I currently work as a research assistant to the country economist at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Uruguay. My job involves providing support for various research projects conducted by the bank on a range of topics, including fiscal policy, productivity, and innovation. In addition, I prepare a monthly economic report for internal distribution within the bank, which combines economic analysis with an examination of key economic issues. Occasionally, I prepare weekly reports on the main economic developments in the Southern Cone countries.
-What does your research work involve?
-Before joining the IDB, I worked at the Center for Economic Research (CINVE) as a research assistant for three years. There, too, I divided my time between monitoring economic conditions and conducting research. During that time, and with CINVE’s support, I received a research initiation grant from the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII) to develop a project on sustainable tourism indicators, which has led me to continue my research in the field of tourism.
-Have you had other jobs?
-When I was in my third year of college, I began teaching as a teaching assistant for the course "Methods of Mathematical Economics," and I have been involved in teaching ever since, assisting in undergraduate, specialized, and graduate courses.
-Do you feel that the bachelor’s degree in economics from the university prepared you for your current role?
-The degree program I chose paved the way for me. As I took the various courses, I began to identify my areas of interest and discovered a passion for teaching and research. The way the degree program is structured—with a strong theoretical foundation, especially in the early years, while also ensuring that concepts are applicable in practice—is a key factor in helping us enter the job market as economists.
-What is the main strength of the program?
-I think the program’s main strength lies precisely in that: preparing us to analyze reality through the lens of economic theory and then applying the methodologies we’ve learned to devise strategies and achieve better results.
-How would you describe the program?
-If I had to describe the program, I would say it offers an appealing blend of quantitative methods and economic theory that makes its practical application both interesting and challenging. It’s interesting because it generally requires the integration of multiple tools acquired throughout the program, and it’s challenging because the complexity of the real world demands that we adapt the models we’ve learned, adding just the right touch of creativity to make them applicable to each specific case.
-How do you look back on your experience as an economics student at Universidad ORT Uruguay?
-Although it has been three years since I completed my coursework, my memories of my time as an undergraduate student remain vivid. Not only because I apply what I learned in my degree program on a daily basis, but also because I am still in touch with my classmates and some of my professors, and I continue to visit the campus to teach classes and consult reference materials. The community of classmates and professors, the academic content, and the learning environment were decisive factors in making my experience as an undergraduate student in Economics at ORT an excellent one.