Biography
I am Assistant Professor at the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. My research interests are Development Economics and Gender, with a primary focus on Population, Health and Education issues.
Research Interests
Catalina studies issues at the intersection of demographic economics, gender, health, and education in developing countries. Her research examines whether fertility decisions affect women’s human capital and economic outcomes, what type of policy interventions can decrease women’s barriers to health care access, how childhood conditions can affect later economic outcomes in adulthood, and whether public policies can mitigate the long-run effects of adverse shocks, such as natural disasters, on human capital.
Additional Campus Affiliations
Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Consumer Economics
Assistant Professor, Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity
Assistant Professor, Center for Global Studies
Assistant Professor, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Assistant Professor, Center for African Studies
Recent Publications
Herrera-Almanza, C., Marquez-Padilla, F., & Prina, S. (2024). C-Sections, Obesity, and Healthcare Specialization: Evidence from Mexico. World Bank Economic Review, 38(1), 139-160. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhad022
Chimbutane, F., Herrera-Almanza, C., Karachiwalla, N., Lauchande, C., & Leight, J. (2023). COVID-19 school closures and mental health of adolescent students: Evidence from rural Mozambique. SSM - Mental Health, 3, Article 100203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2023.100203
Herrera-Almanza, C., & Rosales-Rueda, M. F. (2023). Community-based health programs and child vaccinations: Evidence from Madagascar. World Development, 170, Article 106322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2023.106322
Agüero, J. M., Herrera-Almanza, C., & Villa, K. (2022). Do human capital investments mediate the intergenerational transmission of domestic violence? SSM - Population Health, 17, Article 100985. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100985
Herrera-almanza, C., & Cas, A. (2021). Mitigation of Long-Term Human Capital Losses from Natural Disasters: Evidence from the Philippines. World Bank Economic Review, 35(2), 436-460. Article lhaa001. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhaa001