I am a social demographer and scholar specializing in social stratification, with a focus on examining the patterns and causes of structural inequality. My research aims to uncover and analyze the dynamics of social inequality, as well as assess public policies designed to mitigate these disparities. I am particularly interested in vulnerable populations such as migrants, the elderly, and the economically disadvantaged. My work explores how various social identities—such as class, gender, race, ethnicity, and skin color—intensify inequalities in health, education, and labor market outcomes.
My research agenda centers on three primary areas: (1) migration, (2) social stratification, and (3) public policy. Recently, I have expanded my focus to include issues related to survey measurement, such as the use of mental health scales and colorimeters, along with the impact of COVID-19 on health. Much of my research is based on original panel data that I collect as a co-Principal Investigator of the Mexican Family Life Survey, a nationally representative panel study of the Mexican population.
Grants, Awards and Distinctions:
UCSB Area Global Initiative. 2024. Burdick Global Scholars Program. $50,000.
Office of the Assoc. Vice Chancellor of Teaching and Learning.2024.Peer Award Funding. $5405.
Office of the Assoc. Vice Chancellor of Teaching and Learning. 2023. Hot Teaching Mini-Grant. $2,954
Academic Senate of UCSB. 2023. Travel Grant to present the paper of Color-Status Exchange: Evidence from Mexico Status Exchange at the International Sociological Association Conference, $1,500
UCSB Division of Social Sciences.2023. Peer Mentor Award, $500
UCSB Instructional Development. 2023. RISE Award, $1,000
Institute of Research for Equitable Development of Iberoamerican University (Instituto de Investigaciones para el Desarrollo con Equidad, Universidad Iberoamericana). 2022. Gender gap in mental health during COVID in Mexico (Co-PI), $7,800
UCSB Regents’ Humanities Faculty Fellowship Award.2022.
National Researcher Candidate Recognition by the Mexican National Researchers System, 2022-2024
UCSB Migration Initiative funding for the project “UndocuAging in Times of COVID-19. (Co PI. in conjunction with UCSB San Juanita Garcia Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies) $10,000
Russell Sage Foundation to conduct a pilot study. “Feasibility of Tracking And Re-Interviewing Immigrant Respondents Of A Population Based Longitudinal Survey After 10 Years” with the objective of testing the feasibility of conducting a follow-up survey of panel respondents of the Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS) living in the United States, and inquire about their legal status. (PI). $20,000.
CONACYT. 2016. Fourth Wave of the Mexican Family Fife Survey. (Co-PI). MXN 18,550,000 pesos, $927,500 .
W.K. Kellogg Foundation. 2017. Inclusion of the Black Population in Mexico's 2020 Census. (Co-PI). $372,000
UC MEXUS. 2017. The Role of Documentation Status on Mental Health