Lucrecia Mena Meléndez
Biography
I received a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). My research combines theoretical insights from sociology and demography with advanced quantitative methods for causal inference, demography, and cross-sectional data analysis in the global setting. I am currently conducting quantitative research for my dissertation on the heterogeneities in the associations of ethnoracial identity, rural-urban residence, and cross-national origin on fertility, sexual and reproductive health, and child and maternal health in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
My skills include: qualitative data collection & analysis (Atlas TI & HyperRESEARCH), quantitative data cleaning & analysis (STATA & R), professional writing and editing, public speaking, teaching in higher education, working in public and international policy, international collaborations, strong communication skills, proficiency in multiple foreign languages, fundraising and alliances, grant-writing, monitoring and evaluation, 14 academic conferences & professional talks, and 2 sole-authored academic publication in peer-reviewed journals.
Degrees
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). 2021. University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA: Sociology.
- “Fertility, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Child Outcomes: A Multilevel Analysis of Heterogeneity in Latin America”
- Advanced to Candidacy (ATC). 2018. University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA: Sociology.
- “Fertility, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Child Outcomes: A Multilevel Analysis of Heterogeneity in Latin America”
- Master of Arts (M.A.). 2016. University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA: Sociology. Field Exams:
- International Migration (Spring 2017)
- Social Demography (Summer 2017)
- Master of Arts (M.A.). 2014. Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) and the University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland: Development Studies (Economic, Financial and Human Development).
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). 2012. Elmira College, Elmira, New York: International Studies, Political Science, Anthropology and Sociology (summa cum laude).
Fields of Study
Social Demography, Race and Ethnicity, Sociology of Health, Fertility, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Maternal and Child Health, Education, Social Inequalities, Rural-Urban Analyses, Cross-National Analyses, Immigrant Health, International Migration, International Development, Latin America, United States, Qualitative Methods, Quantitative Methods, Spatial Analysis
Publications
- Dissertation Chapter One: “Rural-Urban Disparities in Fertility in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Blinder–Oaxaca Decomposition Analysis.”
- Revise & Resubmit (under review): Population Research and Policy Review
- Dissertation Chapter Two: Mena-Meléndez, Lucrecia. 2022. “Rural–Urban Differences in Unintended Pregnancies, Contraceptive Nonuse, and Terminated Pregnancies in Latin America and the Caribbean.” Women’s Reproductive Health 9(2), forthcoming.
- Dissertation Chapter Three: Mena-Meléndez, Lucrecia. 2020. “Ethnoracial child health inequalities in Latin America: Multilevel evidence from Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, and Peru.” SSM – Population Health 12:100673. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2020.100673
Awards & Grants
- 2020 – Department of Sociology Graduate Summer Funding, UCLA ($6,000)
- 2019-2020 – Dorothy L. Meier Dissertation Fellowship, UCLA ($20,000 stipend, $15,000 in-state tuition, and health insurance)
- 2018-2019 – Department of Sociology Graduate Student Fellowship, UCLA ($24,000 stipend, $15,000 in-state tuition, and health insurance)
- 2017 – Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Program, UCLA ($6,000)
- 2016 – George E. Jonas Foundation Graduate Scholarship ($2,400)
- 2016 – Juntos Podemos/Together We Can Spanish Infographic Scholarship, UCLA ($2,631)
- 2015 – Juntos Podmos/Together We Can Scholarship, UCLA ($2,000)
- 2014-2016 – Graduate Dean’s Scholar Award, UCLA ($14,500)
- 2014 – Department of Sociology Graduate Student Fellowship, UCLA ($22,000 plus in-state and non-resident tuition $30,000)
- 2012-2014 – Hans Wilsdorf Foundation Scholarship, IHEID ($40,000 plus $10,000 tuition)
- 2011 – George E. Jonas Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship ($2,500)
- 2009 – George E. Jonas Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship ($1,250)
- 2009-2012 – International Grant, Elmira College ($28,500)
- 2009-2012 – Presidential Honor Scholarship, Elmira College ($60,000)
Conference Presentations
2020: The Impact of Women’s Education on Child Health Outcomes: Multilevel Evidence from Five Latin American Countries
- American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Section on The Family Roundtable (accepted). San Francisco, California, USA.
2019: The Impact of Women’s Education on Early Childhood Mortality, Low Birth Weight, and Higher Prevalence and Severity of Anemia in Latin America
- International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) – Population, Poverty and Inequality Research Conference. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
2019: The Documentation Process of Mexican Immigrants in the United States through the Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles, California
- 6th Annual UCLA International Institute Graduate Student Conference – Going Global: Global Justice, Equity, and Empowerment Understanding and Enacting Social Change, Panel VI: Migration, Law, and Immigrant Incarceration. Los Angeles, California, USA.
2019: Effects of the 2012 Gang Truce in El Salvador on School Retention: A Natural Experiment
- Pacific Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Oakland, California, USA.
2019: Female Educational Attainment and Expansion in Latin America: Heterogeneity of the Direct and Indirect Effects on Fertility
- Population Association of America Annual Conference (poster). Austin, Texas, USA.
- Eastern Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
2018: Latino children’s health and healthcare: the role of parent’s immigration status and length of residence in the United States
- Population Association of America (poster). Denver, CO.
- Immigrant Health: Structural Adversity, Resistance, and Resilience UC Riverside Symposium (poster accepted). Riverside, CA.
- American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Section on Sociology of Children and Youth Refereed Roundtable (accepted). Philadelphia, PA.
2018: The Impact of Women’s Education on Fertility in Latin America: Evidence from Guatemala, Colombia, and Bolivia
- 28th UCLA Annual Thinking Gender Graduate Student Research Conference. Los Angeles, CA.
2018: Diverse Stories, Common Experiences: International Students Studying in the U.S., with Amy Pojar.
- National Association of Foreign Student Advisers (NAFSA) 2018 Annual Conference (accepted). Philadelphia, PA.
2017: Latino children’s health and healthcare: the role of parent’s immigration status and length of residence in the United States
- UCLA Department of Sociology Health Working Group. Los Angeles, CA.
- American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Section on Sociology of Children and Youth Refereed Roundtable. Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
2016: Latino children’s health and healthcare: the role of parent’s immigration status and length of residence in the United States
- 4th Annual UCLA International Institute Graduate Student Conference – Going Global: Collaborative Visions for a Sustainable Future, Panel 1: Migration and the Refugee Crisis. Los Angeles, CA.
