Fernanda Herrera is an economist at the Policy & Innovation Center (PIC), using her expertise to lead research for San Diego and Imperial Valley on economic development, climate, equity and more. Her binational perspective and experience provide keen insight into PIC’s projects and research. As a researcher in economics Herrera has worked with academia, government agencies, and scientific organizations.

Prior to joining PIC, she was an associate economic research analyst for San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) – developing, implementing and applying economic research methodologies in support of regional policies, plans, and programs – and a postdoctoral researcher at UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. Additionally, she was a postdoctoral researcher at El Colegio de México in Mexico City and an advisor to the director of immigration at Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Migración. 

She holds a Ph.D. in economics from El Colegio de México, a Master of Arts degree in applied economics from El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Mexico and a Bachelor of Science in actuarial science from Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico.

Additionally, she has published multiple articles in academic journals and was awarded a UCMEXUS-CONACYT postdoctoral research fellowship; the Colmex Academic Excellence Award from the BBVA Bancomer Foundation; and the Roberto Gonzalez Barrera Fellowship from the Mexican Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Banorte Financial Group. Herrera has conducted theoretical and applied research in land use change, transport economics, political economy, and immigration.