Short Bio

I am a Professor of Economics at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo. My main fields are econometrics and labor economics. My research focuses on the development and application of new econometric methods for program evaluation and causal inference to assess the effects of policies, programs, and interventions. Most of my econometric research has concentrated on two broad areas: (1) the study of econometric methods to evaluate multiple, multi-valued, and continuous interventions or treatments; (2) the analysis of estimation problems in which it is necessary to adjust for a variable that has been affected by the treatment of interest. My empirical work has focused on different topics in labor economics, education, health, crime, and environmental economics. My work has been published in journals such as the Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, Journal of Human Resources, American Economic Review (Papers and Proceedings), and Econometric Reviews. Some of my work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

I have taught several courses both at the graduate and undergraduate levels, including Probability and Statistics for Econometrics (graduate), Applied Microeconometrics (graduate), Program Evaluation and Causal Inference (undergraduate), Mathematical Methods for Economists (graduate and undergraduate), Intermediate Microeconomics (undergraduate), Principles of Microeconomics (undergraduate), and Senior Project (undergraduate). I have also served in several Ph.D. dissertation committees, including some for which I was the main advisor.

I joined the Cal Poly faculty in 2013 after eight years at the University of Miami. I received my Ph.D. in Economics and a M.A. in Statistics from UC Berkeley. I received my B.A. from the Monterrey Institute of Technology (ITESM), Monterrey, Mexico. I am originally from Veracruz, Mexico. When I am not working, I like to spend time with my wife, my two kids, and our four-legged son.