María Padilla-Romo is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee.

Before arriving at the University of Tennessee in 2017, she earned a Ph.D. in economics from Texas A&M University, and an M.A. in economics and a B.A. in mathematics from the Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico. At the core of her research is an interest in improving policy design to reduce inequality and improve the well-being of vulnerable populations. Her recent and current work evaluates the consequences of violence and full-time schooling on labor, education, and health outcomes in the short and long run.

María Padilla-Romo joined IZA as a Research Fellow in September 2022.