Welcome to my website.

I am a Lecturer at Dartmouth College. In the Fall term, I will be teaching Macroeconomics. Previously, I taught various macroeconomics, econometrics, and economic history courses in Colombia and the US.

I am an applied economist interested in political economy, economic history, socioeconomics, and macroeconomics. My research agenda spans two areas:

  • I study the social origins, recruitment, and education of economic and political elites

  • I examine disparities in access to education, environmental quality, and other essential resources.

During my Ph.D. studies, I worked as a Consultant at the Institute of Social Science Research at UMass, Amherst, and as an Econometric Fellow at Amherst College. I have also worked as a private consultant, NGO researcher, and government officer [CV].

Contact me:

Ricardo.j.salas.diaz @dartmouth.edu

Research

[JMP] A Century of Central Bankers at the Banco de la República of Colombia

SELECTED PAPERS

[NEW] Corrales, J.; and R. Salas. (2025). Intentional Polarization. Using extreme policies and discourse to promote democratic backsliding. Democratization.

[NEW] Aguilar, S; Cárdenas, J. C.; and R. Salas. (2025) Environmental justice beyond race: skin tone and exposure to air pollution. PNAS

[NEW] Salas, R. and Young, K. (2025). Where Did the Global Elite Go to School? Global Networks DATA

Salas, R. (2023). Kemmerer Lives! The Evolution of the Composition of the Central Bank Board of Five Latin American Countries. Tiempo & Economía 10(2).

Navas, L; Montes, F; Abolghasem, S; Salas, R; Toloo, M; and R. Zarama. (2020). Colombian Higher Education Institutions Evaluation. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 100801.

Montes, F; Forero, D; Salas, R; and R. Zarama. (2017). The Challenges of Creating a Ranking: A Colombian Example. International Higher Education. Vol. 90, pp. 22-24. June.

[ES] Salas, R. (2015). Incidencia de la migración sobre las diferencias salariales de género en Colombia. Ensayos sobre Política Económica, Banco de la República. Vol. 33 (77), pp. 103 – 119, June.

WORKING PAPERS

[ES] Salas, R; Sanabria-Pulido, P; Rodríguez, C; and P. Torres. (2022). Mérito, representatividad, y asimetrías en nombramientos de altos funcionarios públicos en Colombia 1991-2021. Documentos de Trabajo Escuela de Gobierno Alberto Lleras Camargo. No 91.

A complete list of my work-in-progress is at the bottom of this page

BOOK CHAPTERS

Salas, R. (2023) 100 years of Economics at the Board of the Banco de la República. In Álvarez, A and Hurtado, J (eds.). A History of Colombian Economic Thought The Economics Ideas that Built Modern Colombia. Routledge.

Villaveces-Niño, MJ; Salas, R.; and Pilar Torres-Alvarado. (2023). A Mere Guest? The Slow Process of Women's Participation in Top Economic Positions (1950-2000). In Álvarez, A and Hurtado, J (eds.). A History of Colombian Economic Thought The Economics Ideas that Built Modern Colombia. Routledge.

Percentage of the World Elites Educated by Country and their Nationalities.