About me

I’m a PhD Candidate at the United Nations University, Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) and Maastricht University, School of Business and Economics (SBE). My thesis research focuses on complex socioeconomic systems, with a focus on human capital investment (read education) of young people. I use diverse econometric, algorithmic and experimental methods to analyse how young people interact with themselves, systems and technology, and the economic implications of such actions. I am especially interested in the confluence of students’ peer networks, technological innovations and non-cognitive skills, and the study of these in resource-scarce settings, i.e. Low and Middle-Income Countries. Some of the applied work that I do happens in Mexico, my home country.

I am involved in the Mechanism Design for Social Good community. I formerly co-organised the Latin America and Caribbean working group, and I am currently active in the Development working group. Whilst the LAC working group has run its course, one of our core activities is set to become a yearly event: mentoring indigenous women from Mexico who wish to pursue scientific research with community impact. This initiative is in partnership with the REDNACECYT (Red Nacional de Consejos y Organismos Estatales de Ciencia y Tecnología), and is setup as a two-month hybrid programme. Please visit the “Summer of Science” programme webpage to learn more about the partnership, organisers, and student cohorts! 👩🏽‍🏫

Prior to my doctoral studies, I completed a BA in International Relations (2008-2013) at Mexico’s Tec de Monterrey, Campus Guadalajara, with a specialisation in Political Science from Sciences Po Rennes, in France. I also hold a Master of Public Policy, with a Policy Analysis and Economic Development concentration from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin (2013-2015). I have also done consulting work for the World Bank Group (2016-2018) and the International Labour Organisation (2019).

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I enjoy discussing and learning about Causal Inference Econometrics, Machine Learning and Prediction for Social Good, Social Network Analysis, and Social and Economic Development (Education, Health, Labour, Tax).