About Maria Pedroza Santos

At UNM, I study Economics with a minor in Latin American Studies, focusing on issues of development, inequality, and political economy in the region. My research, Invisible Labor, Indispensable Economy: Rethinking Informal Employment in Latin America, examines the structural drivers and economic significance of informal labor using the MIMIC model to better understand its scale and policy implications. As an international student preparing to study abroad in Brazil in Fall 2025, I bring a transnational perspective to my work and seek to highlight how informal economies shape both daily life and broader economic systems across Latin America.