Current Research
My areas of specialization are Economics of Education, Economics of Crime, Entrepreneurship and Applied Econometrics. I have published a number of papers in well-known journals. I am a member of the research group Economics, Public Policies and Quantitative Methods, Universidad Icesi. Recognized by COLCIENCIAS in the highest category A1 [GrupLac] and I am currently classified as an associate researcher [CvLac]. Elected by vote to represent professors (Ph.D.) in the Faculty's research committee, 2016-2018. I participate in a research project financed by the Universidad Icesi, about the economic analysis of the demand for higher education in Colombia.
I participate as a referee in several national and international academic journals, I also evaluate research projects of universities and other institutions, I have been a referee of the intellectual production of professors in universities with professor rankings and I have participated in the elaboration of state exams (Saber Pro) for students of economics careers [Icfes (2011 & 2012) and Afadeco (2020)]. I am a member of the Red de Investigadores de Economía. Banco de la República de Colombia [Central Bank]. Top 100 IDEAS Repec 10A, 2018.
I supervised Magaly Herrera's doctoral dissertation at the Universidad Icesi (2021) and participated in Gustavo Junca's thesis committee at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (2019). I am editor-in-chief of the working papers: (1) Icesi Economics Working Papers and (2) Icesi Economics Lecture Notes. Also, I participate in editorial committees of several national academic journals, PRJ. Member of the scientific committee of the Economics of Education Association.
Member of some international academic associations: The Econometric Society; The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association; Economics of Education Association; Consejo Nacional Profesional de Economía de Colombia; Consejo Latinoamericano de Escuelas de Administración; Business Association of Latin American Studies.
I currently have five papers sent to journals indexed in Scopus or ISI. And some are in R&R.
This is the list of some work in progress:
NEW:
1. The Private Returns to Education in a Developing Country: Recent and Heterogeneous Evidence from Colombia, 2008-2021
(with Gustavo González & Valentina Perdomo), submitted 🆕
2. Effects of Drug Trafficking and Peace Agreements on Criminal Activity in Colombia
(with Magaly Herrera), submitted 🆕
REVISED:
1. Heterogeneous Effects of Public Financing of Education on the Demand for Private Higher Education: Evidence from Colombia, submitted 🆕
2. Crime and Drug Trafficking in Colombia, History of a Lost Battle: Drug Legalization and Public Policies, submitted 🆕
3. Life Cycle, Early Entrepreneurship and Fear of Failure for Colombian Entrepreneurs: Evidence with GEM Data, submitted 🆕
4. Aggregation Bias in the Crime and the Relationship Between Diverse Violent Crimes: Evidence from Colombia.
(with Magaly Herrera)
5. Effectiveness of Educational Policy Measures to Promote the Demand for Quality University Education in Colombia.
(with Jose Manuel Cordero, Natalia Solano & Hector Ochoa)
IN PROGRESS:
1. Meritocracy in a Financing Program for the Demand for Higher Education in Colombia. ¿Who Were the Ser Pilo Paga?
2. Behavior of Colombian Firm Profitability: Is a Random-Walk?
(with Luis Berggrun)
3. The Base of the Pyramid (BoP) in Colombia: Who are they?
(with Raquel Puente)
4. Effects of Education on the Entrepreneurial Growth Aspiration: A Multi-Generational Analysis.
(with Raquel Puente)
5. Is Mata (Stata) a High-Level programming Language in Macroeconomics?
My favorite international academic conferences are:
[Economics of Education Association] 2010 (Presenter and Discussant, P & D), 2011 (P & D), 2012 (P & D), 2013 (P & D), 2014 (P & D), 2015 (P & D), 2016 (P & D), 2017 (P & D), 2018 (P & D), 2019 (P & D, and Parallel Sessions Chair ), 2021(P & D, and Parallel Sessions Chair), 2022(P & D, and Parallel Sessions Chair), 2023 (P & D, Parallel Sessions Chair and Scientific Committee Member), 2024-planned / Valencia University.
[Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association & Latin American Meeting of the Econometric Society] 2014(P & D), 2018(P & D), 2021(P & D)))
BALAS (2016(P & D), 2017(P & D), 2022(P & D))
SAEe (2015(P & D), 2018(P & D))
LASA (2012(P & D), 2017(P & D))
The Econometric Society - World Congress (2015(P & D), 2018(P & D), 2020(Virtual, P & D)))
Al Capone [America Latina Crime and Policy Network] Anual Meetings (2016(P & D), 2021(P & D), 2024-planned / Harvard University.
RIDGE, Political Economy of Conflict and Crime (2021(P & D))