Izabel Sabino De Sousa

Izabel Sabino De Sousa is a Ph.D. student in Innovation in Global Development at Arizona State University’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society. Her doctoral research examines the institutional trajectory of Participatory Budgeting in João Pessoa, Brazil, from 2005 to 2025, analyzing how this democratic innovation has evolved across changing political, administrative, and institutional contexts.

Her research interests include participatory governance, democratic innovation, public sector innovation, civic technology, artificial intelligence in government, and evidence-based policymaking. She is particularly interested in how participatory institutions are sustained and transformed over time, how citizens experience these processes, and how emerging technologies may expand or challenge democratic participation.

Izabel holds a Master’s degree in Public Management and International Cooperation from the Federal University of Paraíba and a Bachelor of Laws from the University Center of João Pessoa. She is licensed to practice law in Brazil and has professional experience in public law, municipal government, public procurement, legal research, and policy implementation.

At ASU and through research collaborations in Brazil and the United States, Izabel has worked on projects related to democracy, participation, elections, artificial intelligence, and government innovation. Her work is grounded in a commitment to building more inclusive, transparent, responsive, and evidence-informed public institutions.