Edgar Orlando Castro Méndez

E-mail: ecastrom@tec.mx
Economics, Tecnológico de Monterrey

Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Phone: +52 (81) 3102-4896

SUMMARY

Currently a Postdoctoral Fellow and Adjunct Professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from George Mason University, with a focus on Applied Microeconomics, Experimental Economics, and Public Economics. Edgar has more than ten years of academic and professional experience, including research and consulting roles at the Inter-American Development Bank, and teaching appointments at George Mason University Korea and Tecnologico de Monterrey. His work combines applied microeconomic theory, experimental methods, and policy-relevant empirical analysis.

METHODS

Applied econometrics, experimental design, causal inference, impact evaluation, applied microeconomic theory.

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Economics, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, December 2023
M.A. in Economics, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, August 2013
B.A. in Economics, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, March 2012

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Applied Microeconomics
Experimental Economics
Public Economics
Political Economy

PUBLICATIONS

Carrillo, P. E., Castro, E., and Scartascini, C. (2021). Public good provision and property tax compliance: Evidence from a natural experiment. Journal of Public Economics, 198:104422.
(download)

WORKING PAPERS

Castro Méndez, Edgar; Yarygina-Udovenko, Anastasiya; and Villalba Ortega, Gabriel (2026). Discretionary Procurement Flexibilization, Efficiency, and Rent-Seeking: Evidence from Chile During COVID-19. IDB Working Paper Series.
Castro Méndez, Edgar and Martinelli, César (2023). Price Distortions and Hoarding: An Experiment. GMU Working Paper in Economics No. 23-45.
Download
Castro, E. and Scartascini, C. (2019). Imperfect Attention in Public Policy: A Field Experiment during a Tax Amnesty in Argentina. IDB Discussion Paper No. 665.
Download

WORK EXPERIENCE

Academic Appointments

Postdoctoral Fellow / Adjunct Professor, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, October 2025 – Present
Postdoctoral Fellow / Term Assistant Professor, George Mason University Korea, Incheon, South Korea, February 2024 – June 2025

Research and Professional Experience

Graduate Research Assistant, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, August 2017 – December 2023
Consultant, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC, March 2022 – December 2022 (PEG contract IFD/FMM-0007)
Consultant, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC, October 2021 – November 2021 (PEG contract RES-0006)
Pre-Doctoral Fellow, CESED, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, August 2018 – May 2019
Consultant, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC, May 2018 – October 2018 (PEG contract RES-0005)
Research Fellow, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC, September 2014 – August 2017
External Consultant, SENA, Bogotá, Colombia, January 2014 – July 2014
Researcher, ECON ESTUDIO, Bogotá, Colombia, December 2011 – January 2014
Research Intern, ECON ESTUDIO, Bogotá, Colombia, January 2011 – August 2011

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

EO 4024 Prices and Agent’s Behavior, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Spring 2026
ECON 306 Intermediate Microeconomics, George Mason University Korea, Spring 2025
ECON 103 Principles of Microeconomics, George Mason University Korea, Spring 2024 – Spring 2025
ECON 445 Design and Analysis of Experiments, George Mason University Korea, Fall 2024
ECON 311 Intermediate Macroeconomics, George Mason University Korea, Fall 2024
ECON 104 Principles of Macroeconomics, George Mason University Korea, Fall 2024

OTHER TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Instructor, Graduate Math Camp, George Mason University, Summer 2022
Teaching Assistant, Game Theory for Ph.D. students, George Mason University, Spring 2021 – Fall 2022
Teaching Assistant, Applied Econometrics, George Mason University, Spring 2021
Teaching Assistant, Graduate Microeconomics, George Mason University, Spring 2020 – Spring 2021
Lecturer, Introduction to Microeconomics, Universidad de los Andes, Fall 2013 and Spring 2014
Teaching Assistant, Regulation and Competition Policy (Graduate), Universidad de los Andes, Fall 2012 and Spring 2013

WORK IN PROGRESS

Beliefs About Price Controls and Zero-Sum Thinking
(with Lianet Farfan, Stanislao Maldonado and Santiago Sautua)
Fairness, Misinformation, and Tax Policy Preferences
(with Stanislao Maldonado)
DEI Policies and Willingness to Compete for Elite College Entrance
(with Stanislao Maldonado)
How Does Flexibilization of Public Procurement Affect Its Efficiency?
(with Anastasiya Yarygina-Udovenko)
Patronage Networks and Favoritism in Colombian Public Procurement
(with Hugo Díaz)
Collective Deliberation: Theory and Experiment
(with Mikhail Freer and César Martinelli)

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

LACEA Annual Meeting, Recife, Brazil, 2025
Workshop of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, SUFE, Shanghai, China, 2025
Association of Private Enterprise Education Annual Meeting, Antigua, Guatemala, 2025
Association of Private Enterprise Education Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2022
Association of Private Enterprise Education Annual Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 2021
Shadow Economy, Tax Behavior, and Institutions Workshop (Online), 2021
National Tax Association Annual Meeting, Tampa, Florida, 2019

GRANTS AND AWARDS

Faculty Research and Development Award, George Mason University Korea, Spring 2025
Faculty Research and Development Award, George Mason University Korea, Fall 2024
Financial Aid Recipient, SAET Chile, Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory, 2024 (awarded; unable to attend)
Graduate Research Assistant Scholarship, ICES, George Mason University, 2017 – 2023
Young Scholar Program Award, Association of Private Enterprise Education, 2022
Young Scholar Program Award, Association of Private Enterprise Education, 2021
Undergraduate Full Scholarship “Quiero Estudiar,” Universidad de los Andes, 2007 – 2011
Best National College Admission Test Score (ICFES), ranked 1/1000 nationwide, 2006

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Co-advisor: University of Pacific, Lima, Peru. Advisee: Matias Villalba, 2023
Referee for: European Economic Review, 2024, 2025
Referee for: Games and Economic Behavior, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Referee for: Journal of Public Economics, 2022
Referee for: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2022
Participant at: ISEO Summer School of Economics, Iseo, Brescia, Italy, 2023

OTHERS

Stata, R, Python, oTree
Spanish (native), English (fluent)

CONTACT

Edgar Orlando Castro Méndez
E-mail: ecastrom@tec.mx; ecastrom71@gmail.com
Tecnológico de Monterrey
Nuevo León, Mexico
Phone: +52 (81) 3102-4896
Phone: +1 (202) 938-6656