Ximena Motta is a Master Research Assistant at Virginia Commonwealth University's L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, contributing to the Research Institute for Social Equity (RISE). Motta previously served as a Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Sociology, where she contributed to the Latino Virginia History Oral Project. Motta's research spans a range of policy areas at RISE, including analysis of U.S. Presidential Executive Orders and their legal and institutional implications, comparative policy analysis of paid family and medical leave across states, and work on language access equity. Across these projects, she applies a social equity lens, examining how policies affect access, opportunity, and public service delivery for underserved and marginalized communities.
Before joining VCU, Motta built a career in telecommunications, digital infrastructure, and government advisory roles across Colombia. Motta served as Director of ICT Promotion and Senior Advisor to the Minister at Colombia's Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies (MinTIC), where she led national connectivity initiatives and structured the country's ".co" internet domain project. Motta's experience also spans regulatory and policy advising at the General Comptroller of the Republic, the Ombudsman's Office of Colombia, and multiple telecommunications companies, giving her a distinctive lens on how governance, regulation, and infrastructure investment shape equitable outcomes.
At VCU, Motta served as Vice President of the Public Administration Student Association (PASA), supporting fellow MPA students through academic and professional development initiatives.
Motta holds a Master of Public Administration (in progress, expected December 2026, GPA 4.00) and a Nonprofit Management Certificate (in progress, expected December 2026) from VCU, a Master's Degree in Public Management from the Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (Spain), a Specialization in Telecommunications and Technologies Regulation from the Universidad Externado de Colombia, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the Universidad de La Sabana (Colombia). She is a member of Pi Alpha Alpha and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Societies, and is fluent in Spanish and English