Teaching

I am committed to creating an inclusive and engaging learning environment where all students—especially those from first-generation, transfer, and underrepresented backgrounds—can succeed in economics. I emphasize clarity, step-by-step reasoning, and real-world relevance to help students build confidence in their analytical skills.

I have served as a Teaching Assistant for multiple courses at UC Santa Barbara and at Duke University, including Intermediate Microeconomics, Intermediate Macroeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics, and the Economics of the Public Sector. At UCSB, I also served as Head Teaching Assistant for Intermediate Microeconomics, coordinating 13 graduate TAs and supporting more than 700 undergraduates. I received the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award (2023).

Students consistently rated my mastery of the subject and ability to explain complex material above the departmental average.

Courses Taught and Assisted

  • Intermediate Microeconomic Theory I (ECON 10A) — UCSB
  • Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory (ECON 101) — UCSB
  • Intermediate Microeconomic Theory II (ECON 100B) — UCSB
  • Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 2) — UCSB
  • Economics of the Public Sector (PUBPOL 304) — Duke University

Examples of Courses I Am Prepared to Teach

  • Introductory and Intermediate Microeconomics
  • Introductory and Intermediate Macroeconomics
  • Environmental Economics
  • Labor Economics
  • Development Economics
  • Empirical Methods / Applied Econometrics

Selected Student Feedback

“Jimena writes her notes exceptionally clearly and explains the material effectively and succinctly.”
— ECON 101, Spring 2021

“She is very nice and genuinely cares. She breaks down each question and shows every step, which is extremely 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