Emory University
Cristhian Rosales Castillo
Ph.D. student in Economics · Expected 2028
Macroeconomics · Bayesian Econometrics · Time Series · Machine Learning
About
I am a Ph.D. student in Economics at Emory University (expected 2028). My research focuses on macroeconomics, Bayesian econometrics, time series, and machine learning, with secondary interests in econometrics, economic theory, and applied microeconomics.
I am currently an Economic Research Intern at the Inter-American Development Bank, using new data tools in the Caribbean (Summer 2026). At Emory I have also worked as a research assistant in econometrics, microeconomic theory, time series, and learning in economic theory—including large-scale simulation work on CPU and GPU clusters.
Before the Ph.D., I held leadership roles in official statistics, education, and higher education in Ecuador— including Director of Studies and Information Analysis at INEC, Advisor–Research Project Coordinator at CACES, and research and director roles at the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Knowledge and Human Talent— and taught Impact Evaluation (Advanced Econometrics) at the master’s level at IAEN.
I hold a Master of Research in Development Economics from FLACSO, an Engineering degree in Economic and Financial Sciences (cum laude) from the National Polytechnic School, and a B.S. in Economics (mention très bien) from Jean Monnet University.
- Primary Macroeconomics, Bayesian Econometrics, Time Series, Machine Learning
- Secondary Econometrics, Economic Theory, Applied Microeconomics
Selected research
Current focus
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Social Interactions in Multilayer Observational Networks
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Reinforcement Learning for Estimating DSGE Models
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Measuring Nepotism: Family Networks and Bureaucratic Hierarchies
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Time in Class vs. The Diploma: Disentangling Human Capital and Signaling in Graduate Education
Experience
Policy & research
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2026
Economic Research Intern — Inter-American Development Bank
Using New Data Tools in the Caribbean. Economic research internship, Washington, DC (June – August 2026).
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2024 – 2026
Research Assistant — Emory University
RA to faculty in econometrics (Sánchez-Becerra), microeconomic theory (Kim), time series and nonparametric econometrics (Pesavento), and learning in economic theory (Cho), including HPC simulation workflows on CPU/GPU clusters.
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2021 – 2023
Director of Studies and Information Analysis — INEC
National Institute of Statistics and Census, Ecuador. Led studies and information analysis for the national statistical system.
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2018 – 2021
Advisor – Research Project Coordinator — CACES
Higher Education Quality Assurance Council. Coordinated research projects on graduate-program quality and evaluation.
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2018
Researcher — Ministry of Education
Impact evaluation and policy research on education programs in Ecuador.
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2017
Director of Analysis and Statistics — Ministry of Knowledge and Human Talent
Led analysis and statistics for the knowledge and human talent sector; later editor and coauthor of the sector’s prospective agenda to 2035.
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2021
Visiting Professor — IAEN
Impact Evaluation (Advanced Econometrics), Master’s in Public Policy Evaluation. Teaching evaluations: 9.55 / 10.
Toolkit
Methods & computing
Methods
Bayesian econometrics, time series, causal inference, network models, macro model solution and estimation, reinforcement learning for DSGE estimation, large-scale simulation
Computing
R, Python, Stata, Julia, MATLAB · HPC (CPU/GPU clusters, Bash) · Git/GitHub · LaTeX
Contact
Get in touch
R. Randall Rollins · 1516 Clifton Road, NE · Atlanta, GA 30322