Research

Publications:

"Are Pilot Experiments Random? Social Connections and Policy Expansion in China"   Paper 

with Jinyang Yang,  

In  The Journal of the Economics of Ageing 18, 1-13, February 2021   

Working Papers:

• "The Impact of In-Utero Flood Shocks on Education Achievement: Evidence From El Niño in Peru",    Paper 

Abstract:

This paper investigates the long-term effects of in-utero exposure to floods. Using data from the Peruvian National Household Survey (ENAHO) over the period 2001-2017, I examine the completion of primary and secondary education for individuals born between 1975 and 1983 following the exposure to floods during the 1982-1983 El Niño in Peru. The findings indicate that the probability of completing primary education during adulthood decreases by 1.5 percentage points after in-utero exposure to the 1982-1983 floods. The effects are statistically significant only for individuals in urban dwellings and they are robust to the inclusion of covariates. Individuals, who experienced prenatal exposure to floods, are more likely to suffer a chronic disease later in life. In contrast, the estimates on income variables are statistically insignificant. In addition, this study demonstrates that boy fetuses are disadvantaged when affected in-utero compared to girls fetuses, and that family characteristics such as parental education play an important role in the education achievement of daughters and sons. In a context where the occurrence of El Niño events is more frequent due to climate change, most vulnerable groups need the help of the government to better prepare for extreme weather conditions.

•  "To inspire and to inform: The Role of Role Models" , Download Paper, Accepted at World Bank Economic Review

with Marcos Agurto, Siddharth Hari, and Sudipta Sarangi. 

Abstract: 

Bridging the gender gap in STEM fields has become a priority for policymakers across the world. This paper evaluates the impact of a light-touch intervention in which female engineering students served as role models for high school students in Peru. We find that a brief 20-minute interaction with these role models increased students’ interest in engineering, and led to higher rates of application to and enrollment in engineering programs - concentrated among female students with high math aptitude. Suggestive evidence points to improvements in students’ self-confidence related to their math abilities following exposure to relatable role models. Set in a developing country context, our findings suggest that low-cost interventions can help narrow the gender gap in STEM participation, though they are unlikely to shift deeper, more persistent gender norms on their own.    

• To Quit or to Stay? Academic Probation in College, Download Paper

Abstract:

Academic probation (AP) is a warning received by students failing to make substantial academic progress required for graduation. By receiving AP, students get additional information about their capabilities to successfully complete a degree.  This paper explores the effect of AP on college drop-out rates and academic performance by using administrative data from a private university, and a Regression Discontinuity Design (RD). I exploit variation on academic outcomes and students' drop-out decisions around the minimum grade point average (GPA) that determines AP status. I find that students exposed to AP left their academic programs the subsequent semester. While men dropped-out due to probation, women drop-out rates were not affected. Instead women exposed to probation continued their programs but they performed worse in subsequent periods. I find differentiated effects between STEM and non-STEM fields of study. Set in the context of a developing country, my results show that college internal rules could lead to efficient allocation of students to college degrees in settings with predominant gender stereotypes.

Thesis: Essays on the Economics of Health and Education, May 2022

Work in Progress:

-Does Increased Instructional Time Improve Learning? Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Peru

-The Effect of Daily Stressors on the Wellbeing of Caregivers and Individuals with Dementia and Alzheimer in Rural Appalachian

-Quasi-Experimental Evidence From a Nutritional Program in Peru: The Case of Qaliwarma

-School Closures and Learning Loss during the Pandemic: Evidence from Rural India

- Cost of Field Epidemiology Training Program in Guinea and Liberia: A Training of the Health Workforce Targeting Multiple Cohorts.

-Cost Analysis of COVID-19 Mobile Vaccination Clinics in Los Angeles County.

-Gender Gaps in STEM: Exploring underlying Mechanisms.