Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

My commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) stems from personal and professional experiences. Living and working in the New York City metropolitan area for over 20 years has allowed me to be part of communities of people with different socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and cultural identities. Experiencing these dimensions of diversity first-hand allowed me to understand how these differences create a richer living environment. It also allowed me to understand the challenges faced by underrepresented communities and the need to eliminate them to ensure their full and equitable participation.

The following sections describe my contributions to DEI as they relate to my teaching, research, and professional service.

Teaching

I have had the privilege of teaching economics at a public, Hispanic-serving institution and a private, women’s liberal arts college. These institutions have diverse student bodies with various levels of academic preparation, including students from communities of color that have been underrepresented not only in economics, but also in higher education. Many of these students are also the first in their families to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

My teaching approach reflects my understanding of the challenges faced by students from these underrepresented communities. When designing my courses, I include teaching strategies to meet the needs of students with a disadvantaged academic preparation. I also encourage in-class participation to promote critical thinking and to highlight how different student perspectives enhance our discussions and the overall learning experience. My goal is to foster a classroom environment where no one feels out of place.

I have also participated in curricular development by creating a course on the economics of discrimination, which covers theories of discrimination of women and minorities with respect to earnings and employment outcomes, empirical studies testing these theories, and public policies toward discrimination.

Research

I have been expanding my research beyond health economics to the field of equity and inclusion. My goal is to shed light on the experiences of people in the LGBTQ+ community.

In my research, I aim to understand inequalities in the labor market participation of LGBTQ+ individuals by exploring the difference in earnings between gay, lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual individuals. Due to data limitations, the majority of the literature in this field uses sexual history or cohabitation status to determine an individual’s sexual orientation. My research advances the literature by providing findings based on data on self-identified sexual orientation that provide new insights that could improve the lives of the people in this community.

My research in progress includes two additional projects exploring potential health consequences resulting from discrimination against people in the LGBTQ+ community. In these projects I measure changes in risky sexual behavior that sexual minorities might choose to undertake as a result of poor tolerance. I also estimate the effects of discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities in the LGBTQ+ community on their risk-taking behavior, which could lead to an increased probability of contracting sexually transmitted infections. The objective of this research is to offer empirical evidence showing that poor tolerance and rejection may have negative health consequences for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Service

My service includes participation in initiatives that aim to increase diversity efforts and address the needs of underrepresented students. These initiatives include supporting curricular development that advances DEI and promotes underrepresented student participation through outreach and mentorship.

As a faculty affiliate of the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies and a member of the Sexuality and Queer Studies Advisory Board at New Jersey City University, I have supported the creation of the Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies minor and participated in the proposal for the Sexuality and Queer Studies minor. I have promoted these minor concentrations by encouraging students to review their course offerings and explaining how their curricula could complement their major concentrations.

I have also served as the faculty adviser for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York College Fed Challenge, a member of the Goldman Sachs College Collaborative Program Selection Committee, and a judge in the Business Students Research Showcase Competition. In each of these roles, I have led outreach initiatives to encourage the participation of students who have been historically underrepresented in research and the banking sector.

As the faculty coordinator for the Honors Program at the New Jersey City University School of Business, I have been the designated faculty adviser for honor students seeking a career in the finance and banking industry, where women and people of color have been historically underrepresented. In this capacity, I have mentored students to empower and motivate them to pursue their professional goals. I have also mentored students in my role as the coordinator and faculty coach for the HSI Battle of the Brains, a national academic competition aimed at Hispanic-serving institutions that serves as an experiential diversity recruiting showcase for Latinx talent. As the faculty coach for the team, I prepared students for the competition and for the networking sessions with leaders and representatives of multinational companies. In this role, I have also coordinated and promoted New Jersey City University’s participation, secured funding, and recruited students to participate in this competition.