Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Consumer Economics

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 Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Assistant Professor, Center for African Studies

Recent Publications

Chimbutane, F., Karachiwalla, N., Herrera-Almanza, C., Leight, J., & Lauchande, C. (2026). The effect of teacher training and community literacy programming on teacher and student outcomes. Journal of Development Economics, 178, Article 103578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103578

Vincent, S., Herrera-Almanza, C., Anukriti, S., & Karra, M. (2025). Contraceptive Concordance. Studies in family planning. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/sifp.70018

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

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