Professor, Food & Resource Economics and Center for Latin American Studies

Dr. Useche is an applied economist with expertise in international development and sustainable agricultural economics, who has extensive research and field experience in the Latin American region. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is appointed jointly by FRED and the Center for Latin American Studies. She is an affiliate professor linked to the Master of Development Practice and at the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. She has served on the editorial board of the journal "Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy", and was recently appointed Associate Editor for the journal "World Development."

• Research

  Dr. Useche's current research interests include sustainable economic development, Latin American development, inequality and gender; agriculture, innovation and technology adoption; adoption of GMOs; natural resource management; cooperation, conservation and experimental economics.

• Teaching

  I REGULARLY TEACH THREE MAIN COURSES:

  AEB6933-Advanced Applied Econometrics
  Covers the area of advanced discrete choice methods. It guides students to enable them to go from the basic concepts learnt in previous econometrics classes (levels 1 and 2) to leading-edge work in complex model systems, which use Bayesian and simulation estimation methods. The focus of the class is on the correct application of these empirical methods and on the correct interpretation of their results under the light of sound economic theory.

  AEB 7645, Economic Development-PhD
  This class has a microeconomic focus and presents recent advances in theory and empirical methodologies. In particular, it emphasizes recent developments in the study of imperfect markets, risk and uncertainty, social interactions, networks and institutions, as well as experimental methods for exploring economic and social behaviors. I update the class regularly, modifying its core topics. Recently, I have introduced gender and environmental components that examine both theoretical and methodological aspects of these issues. I have also updated the methodological modules on poverty measurement and social program evaluation.

  AEB6933/LAS6938, Latin American Economic Development
  A policy oriented class for graduate students from many fields (economics, anthropology, interdisciplinary ecology, school of natural resources, business). This class applies the knowledge about different development concepts and teaches students methods to calculate measures of economic development and poverty. The illustrative context is based on countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. It goes beyond the discussion of development policy issues in the region, to explain the historic evolution of development policy, as well as the economic theories underlying these policy agendas.

• Education
  • Ph.D Agricultural and Applied Economics University of Wisconsin. Madison, WI 2007
  • M.A. Agricultural and Applied Economics University of Wisconsin. Madison, WI 2002
  • M.Sc. Candidate. Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. Joint Program University of Maryland and University of Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia. 2000
  • B.S. Economics University of Los Andes. Bogota, Colombia 1998 Degree
• Publications
  • EDIS
  • Google Scholar