Teaching

My goal as an instructor is to make economics engaging, rigorous, and relevant while helping students develop the analytical skills and economic intuition to understand and address real-world policy challenges. I emphasize clarity, structured problem-solving, and connections between economic theory and contemporary policy issues. My aim is to equip students with a toolkit they can use not only to succeed in the classroom, but also to analyze complex problems and make informed decisions throughout their careers.

Teaching Experience

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Assistant Professor, Department of Public Policy (2026–present)

  • Microeconomic Foundations of Public Policy (Undergraduate)
  • Advanced Economic Analysis for Public Policy I (Ph.D.)

University of California, Santa Barbara

Head Teaching Assistant, Department of Economics (2022–2026)

  • Intermediate Microeconomics I (multiple quarters; coordinated 13 graduate TAs supporting 450–700 students per quarter)

Teaching Assistant (2019–2025)

  • Intermediate Microeconomics I & II
  • Intermediate Macroeconomics
  • Principles of Macroeconomics

Duke University

Teaching Assistant, Sanford School of Public Policy (2015)

  • Economics of the Public Sector

Teaching Awards

  • Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, University of California, Santa Barbara (2026, 2023)

Selected Student Feedback

“Jimena writes her notes amazingly well and can teach the material very effectively and succinctly.”

ECON 101, Spring 2021

“She is very nice and seems to care. She breaks down each question nicely and thoroughly shows the steps, which is very helpful.”

ECON 10A, Winter 2020

“I really appreciated her enthusiasm and optimism even though she was teaching a difficult class. She comes prepared every day and is very efficient.”
ECON 10A, Winter 2020

“Very good at allowing students to come to conclusions on their own. Her teaching style feels more like a conversation than an explanation.”
ECON 100B, Fall 2020