Three questions for... Jun.- Prof. Dr. Sofía Fernández Guerrico

Juniorprofessor for Labor Economics since winter semester 2023/24

Dear Dr. Fernández Guerrico, welcome to our Department! What exactly fascinates you about Labor Economics? Where did this passion start?

My research projects are at the intersection of labor and health economics, and are often motivated by issues related to economic and health inequality. Even before studying economics in college, I was always curious to learn how economic issues affected people’s lives, and what could be done to address those issues. I think that was the starting point, and that’s also the reason why I’m passionate about coming up with interesting research questions, thinking about adequate empirical approaches, and contributing to evidence-based policymaking.

Lake, Alps, Uni Konstanz…have you already found a favorite spot in Konstanz? What do you like best about this city so far?

Konstanz is a lovely city surrounded by amazing nature; my favorite spot is the lake. A hobby of mine is rowing, so I am looking forward to getting on the lake this upcoming summer.

Do you have any advice for students, who think about a career in research or want to pursue a PhD?

Talk to current PhD students and professors; discuss with them your expectations and preferences. Research is very rewarding, but it can also be hard at times. Being enthusiastic about the topic of your research is extremely helpful. Also, keeping work-life balance and developing a good support system are very important.

About Dr. Fernández Guerrico:

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Sofía Fernández Guerrico studied Economics at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States. After completing her doctorate at the University of Illinois, Prof. Fernández Guerrico worked as a postdoctoral researcher and later on as EU Horizon - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow and FNRS Postdoctoral Fellow for the Department of Applied Economics at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium. Throughout her career, Prof. Dr. Fernández Guerrico also worked as Junior Researcher at the “CENIT” (Centro de Investigaciones para la Transformación) in Buenos Aires and as Short-Term Consultant at the World Bank Group.

While Prof. Fernández Guerrico taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and at the University of Buenos Aires, she recently joined the Department of Economics at the University of Konstanz as Juniorprofessor, where she conducts research on topics related to Labor Economics and Health Economics. Also, Prof. Fernández Guerrico is a Research Affiliate of the IZA Institute of Labor Economics.

We are excited to welcome her and wish her a great start at the Department of Economics!