I'm an applied microeconomist, and my primary research focuses on the study of structural changes in education markets, with special emphasis on Latin America.

I'm an Assistant Professor of Economics at Columbia University and a Research Fellow at the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA). I completed my PhD at Stanford in 2022 and spent one year as a postdoc at UC Berkeley. You can reach me at seb.otero@columbia.edu


I'm an applied microeconomist and my research focuses on the study of firms and education policy, with special emphasis on Latin America. .

I will join Columbia University as an Assistant Professor of Economics in 2023 after spending one year as a postdoc at UC Berkeley. If you're interested in talking about my work, or yours, get in touch! You can reach me at seb.otero@berkeley.edu

Publications

Equilibrium Effects of Food Labeling Policies

with Nano Barahona and Cristóbal Otero
Econometrica, 91(3), May 2023, 839-868 ✌🏽

The Effects of Drinking and Driving Laws on Car Crashes, Injuries, and Deaths: Evidence from Chile

with Tomás Rau
Accident Analysis and Prevention, 106, September 2017, 262-274 🐙  

In Progress

The STEM Major Gender Gap: Evidence from Coordinated College Application Platforms Across Five Continents

with I. Ahimbisibwe, A. Altjmed, G. Artemov, A. Barrios-Fernández, A. Bizopoulou, M. Kaila, J. Liu, R. Megalokonomou, J. Montalbán, C. Neilson, J. Sun, and X. Ye  
Status: October 2024 [Submitted] 🎃

Single-Threshold Food Labeling Policies

with Nano Barahona, Cristóbal Otero, and Joshua Kim
Status: October 2024 [Submitted] 👾

The Equilibrium Effects of Subsidized Student Loans

with Nano Barahona and Cauê Dobbin
Status: July 2022

Affirmative Action in Centralized College Admissions Systems

with Nano Barahona and Cauê Dobbin
Status:  September 2023
Winner of the Claire and Ralph Landau Prize 2022

Skin in the Game: College's Financial Incentives and Student Outcomes

with Nano BarahonaCauê Dobbin, Hanson Ho, and Constantine Yannelis
Status: October 2023

The Equilibrium Effects of Public Provision in Education Markets

with Michael Dinerstein, Daniel Morales, and Christopher Neilson
Status: September 2023

Balancing Access and Quality in a Changing Market Structure: The Market Effects of Online College Education

with Nano BarahonaCauê Dobbin, and Joaquín Fuenzalida
Status: Draft soon

Equalizing the Great Equalizer: The Long-run Consequences of School Funding Reforms

with Claire Montialoux and Roberto Hsu Rocha
Status: Draft soon

Demand Shocks and Firm Dynamics: Evidence from Government Procurement Lotteries

with Marvin Cardoza, Michael Dinerstein, and Christopher Neilson
Status: Draft soon