Research

Research interests

  • Economic development
  • International trade
  • Economic history
  • Political economy
  • Transportation
  • Labor economics
  • Macroeconomics

Dissertation

My dissertation considers the role of trade partners in economic development. Trade data shows significant average price differentials across countries, a result of market niches and trade barriers, suggesting potential benefits from "picking trade partners". Using a modified version of the revealed comparative advantage formula, I am currently evaluating how different strategies to select trade partners may affect exporters recent economic growth.

My committee members: Dr. Andrew Hughes-Hallet, Dr. John Earle, and Dr. David Hart

Research in Progress

“From What to Whom: Trade Policy to Accelerate Developing Countries' Economic Growth”

"Economic Diversification in 19th Century Guatemala: What Explains the Failure to Develop the Silk Industry?"

“Opportunism in Public-Private Partnerships: the Case of The Las Vegas Monorail” Co-authored with Jonathan Gifford

“Getting the Elites on Board: What Central America Can Learn from East Asia" Co-authored with Rodrigo Mendez

Presentations & Posters

"U.S. Surface Transportation Public-Private Partnerships: Objectives and Evidence,” Presented at the Transportation Research Board 2018 Annual Meeting, January 2018, Washington, DC (with Morghan Transue, Jonathan Gifford, Porter Wheeler, Lauren McCarthy)

“Impact of Political Risks on the Efficiency of Public-Private Partnerships,” Poster presented at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, January 2017, Washington, D.C. (with Lauren McCarthy and Jonathan Gifford)

"Impact of Political Risk on the Efficiency of Public-Private Partnerships, " Presented at Second Annual Symposium on Transportation Informatics, August 2016, Alington, Virginia (with Lauren McCarthy & Jeong Yun Kweun)

“Renegotiation of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships: the US experience,” Poster presented at the International Conference on Public-Private Partnerships, May 2016, Austin, Texas (with Jonathan Gifford, Nobuhiko Daito, and Morghan Transue)

"Beyond the BA: Paving the Way to Graduate Academic Success " Presented at (with Shannon Williams, Silva Pecini, Amit Patel, Lokesh Dani), 2016, Maryland (with Shannon Williams and Silva Pecini)

“Transportation Public-Private Partnerships and Supplier Diversity,” North American Meeting of the Regional Science Association International, November 2015, Portland, Oregon (with Jonathan L. Gifford and Jeong Yun Kweun)

“Bankruptcy Policy and Surface Transportation Public-Private Partnerships: A Comparative Analysis of the U.S. and Europe,” Presented at 4th International Joint Conference in the Public-Private Partnership Conference, September 2015, New York City (with Jonathan Gifford and Jeong Yun Kweun)

"The Math Skills Workshop: A Unit-Wide Collaboration to Fill Gaps in Student Learning," Presented at 2014 Innovations in Teaching & Learning at George Mason University, 2014, Virginia (with Shannon Williams, Silva Pecini, Amit Patel, Lokesh Dani)

Non-Peer Reviewed Publications

U.S. Surface Transportation Public-Private Partnerships: Objectives and Evidence” Co-authored with Morghan Transue, Porter Wheeler, Jonathan Gifford. Center for Transportation P3 Policy, George Mason University, July 2017

“Guatemala´s MSMEs entrepreneurs and the Minimum Wage”. Co-authored with Monica Rivera. 2017. Published by Universidad Francisco Marroquin (in Spanish).

"Industrial Policy Proposal to Promote Competitiveness and Innovation in Guatemala". Part of the team lead by María Isabel Bonilla. 2015. Consulting project developed for the Ministerio de Economía and the Inter-American Development Bank (in Spanish).

Renegotiation of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships: the US Experience”. Co-atuhored with Jonathan Gifford and Nobuhiko Daito. 2014. OECD. International Transportation Forum. Discussion Paper 2014-16

The impact of trade services in employment: the case of call centres and client services in Guatemala”. Coauthored with Mario Cuevas. 2013. Published by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) (in Spanish).

Aid for Trade Assessment. Lessons for Guatemala”. Co-authored with Hugo Maul, Irene Flores, Rodrigo Méndez and Gustavo Sáenz. 2012. Published by ICTSD, Aid for Trade Series (in Spanish).

Guatemala”. Co-authored with Erasmo Sanchez, Mario Cuevas, and Bismarck Pineda. 2012. In Harvest Time? Challenges and opportunities in the agricultural sector in Central America and Dominican Republic. Book edited by: Sebastian Auguste and Osmel Manzano. Published by Interamerican Development Bank (in Spanish).

"A Proposal to change the definition of Micro Small and Medium Firms in Guatemala". Part of the team lead by Rodrigo Méndez Maddaleno. 2012. Consulting project developed for the Ministerio de Economía (in Spanish).

"Policy Guideliens for Guatemala 2011-2021". I edited the book, a by-product of over 20 authors. 2011. Published by CIEN (in Spanish)

"Latin American Transparency Index 2011". Co-authored with Jorge Lavarreda. 2011. Published by CIEN (in Spanish)

Organization and consensus: strategies to overcome informality in Guatemala”. Co-authored with Hugo Maul, Jaime Diaz and Javier Calderón. 2011. Published by CIEN (in Spanish)

"Youth Violence in Guatemala" Co-authored with Bismarck Pineda. 2009. Published by CIEN (in Spanish)

"Succesful liberal macroeconomic reforms in Guatemala" Co-authored with Hugo Maul and Jaime Diaz. 2008. In G. Lazzari & H. Ñaupari, Succesful Liberal Policies II. Published by Relial.

Opportunities and Risks in Service Trade Liberalization: Guatemala”. Co-authored with Mario Cuevas. 2007. Published by ICTSD (in Spanish).

"DR-CAFTA a year later". Co-authored with Hugo Maul and Jaime Diaz. 2008. Ellaborated for Ministerio de Economía (in Spanish).

Between Myths and Policies: Informality and Indigenous People”. Coauthored with Hugo Maul. 2007. Published by Revista de Economia y Derecho. (in Spanish).

"Guatemalan labor market, current situation and future trends". Co-authored with Hugo Maul and Jaime Diaz. 2007. Background paper ellaborated for United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Guatemala. (in Spanish)

"Informal Sector. Overcoming the Barriers of an Excluding State”. Co-authored with Hugo Maul, Jaime Diaz and Javier Calderón. 2006. Published by CIEN (in Spanish).

"DR-CAFTA Impact, Opportunities, and Challenges for the Central American Labor Markets" Co-authored with Hugo Maul, Jaime Diaz. 2005. BID-INTAL (In Spanish)

"Real Property Rights in Guatemala". Co-authored with Hugo Maul, Jaime Diaz. 2005. Elaborated for Instituto Libertad y Democracia. Published by CIEN. (in Spanish)

"From Precarious Land Tenure to Legitimate Land Ownership". Co-authored with Hugo Maul, Jaime Diaz. 2005. Elaborated for FUNDESA. Published by CIEN. (in Spanish)

"Políticas laborales en Centroamérica. ¿Oportunidades o barreras para el desarrollo." Co-authored with María Isabel de Anzueto,Sigfrido Lée, and Hugo Maul. 2004. Centro de Investigaciones Economicas Nacionales (CIEN). (in Spanish).