Home: Bethesda, MD. Age: Older than I look! Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota (even if you don’t hear my Midwestern accent!). Profession: Economist. Organization: Georgetown University. Title: Professor of public policy and economics. Pronouns: She/her/hers. Significant other: My husband, Ignacio. Alma mater: University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D.); McGill University (B.A.). Languages spoken: Bilingual in English and Spanish; working knowledge of French.
Current project: Monetary policy under geopolitical uncertainty. Recent recognition: 2025 American Society of Hispanic Economists (ASHE) Achievement Award. Recent professional development: Transitioned back to teaching and research at Georgetown University after three and a half years of government service. Latest accomplishment: Keynote at the London School of Economics. Latest contribution to others: Center for Black Entrepreneurship (CBE) Research Fellowship Program mentor, joint Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Black Economic Alliance Foundation, 2026. What’s been your big (or biggest leap)? Recovering from surgery after an epic skiing accident, which turned me into a bionic woman with five screws and a metal plate. Hobbies: Cooking, skiing, traveling. Recent travel or adventure: Kayaking in the caves off the Algarve coast. Last book read: Talking to Strangers, by Malcolm Gladwell. Recently viewed and recommended: The Devil Wears Prada 2. Recent unique acquisition: Antique Spanish mortar.
Personality profile: Decisive, gritty, adaptable, balanced, spiritual. What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Sincere. Moral compass: The honesty and integrity I learned from my family. How do you define a perfect friendship? Trusting, laughing together, listening, supportive, uplifting. How do you define an ideal business relationship? Complementary and trusting. What is your greatest joy? Time with family. What is your greatest fear? Illness. What is your guilty pleasure? Long showers. What word or phrase do you use far too often? Great! What natural talent have you neglected? Salsa dancing. What occupation, other than your own, do you most admire? Doctors. What is your favorite place (or way) to spend money? On vacation. What is at the top of your bucket list? Machu Picchu. How do you relieve stress? Cooking, laughing. What is your go-to workout? Gym, playing tennis. What ingredient is essential to your perfect vacation? Good company.
What was your first paying job? Waitressing. What was your favorite college course? Econometrics! What was your favorite childhood toy or game? Rubik’s Cube. What book have you repeatedly read? One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez. What movie have you repeatedly watched? Encanto; The Book Thief. What’s prominently featured on your home or office wall? Family pictures. Besides your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life? Nobel Prize winner George Akerlof, my Ph.D. advisor and friend. What’s the best advice you received growing up? There are always options in life, and one shouldn’t feel trapped. What’s the best advice you received in your career? You should value yourself. What modern technology innovation do you most appreciate? The camera on my iPhone—though my family does not! What is your favorite app? Waze, which helps me get places quickly and avoid traffic, potholes, and speed cameras. What is your go-to source of news and information? NPR; The Economist. What company or organization do you most admire? ACLU; Anti-Defamation League. What world event has had the greatest influence on your life? September 11, 2001—the same day as my son’s Brit Milah—which changed my perspective about the value of new life in a world filled with destructive forces.
What change would you like to see in the world?
End of prejudice.
What widely held belief do you reject? Discrimination. What mega-trend most excites you? Mobilization of young people. What mega-trend most concerns you? Fragmentation in the world.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? Getting up again…and again. What actor would you choose to play you in the movie about your life? Salma Hayek. Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? Shakira. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? Marine biologist. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? Having a picnic with my family in a beautiful garden. What advice would you give your younger self? Continue with your conviction and feistiness. What day in your life would you choose to re-live? My children’s B’nei mitzvot.
Personal mission: Improving the economic well-being of people through policies. Favorite quote: “Be humble like the ground you walk on and be proud like the sky above you” (my maternal grandmother).
