Esther Castro

Dr. Esther Castro serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Finance, Information Systems, Economics, and Risk Management at the University of Houston-Downtown, teaching core finance courses including Managerial Finance, Quantitative Methods in Finance, and International Finance across undergraduate and graduate programs since 2015 with continuous appointments through Summer 2025.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Financial Economics, University of New Orleans (Dissertation: 2 Essays on Banking: An Applied Credit Score Model and Christian Mutual Fund Performance)
• M.S. in Financial Economics, University of New Orleans
• B.S. in Finance and International Business, LeTourneau University (Supporting Areas: Economics)

Her research program critically examines intersections between socio-cultural phenomena and financial systems, with primary emphases on religion's influence on investment behavior, immigration-remittance dynamics in financial markets, and international capital flows. Secondary interests span quantitative finance methodologies, behavioral anomalies in financial decision-making, and forecasting techniques under crisis conditions like pandemics.

Analysis of her 2016-2024 publications reveals evolving research trajectories: early work established foundations in religious investment fund performance and FDI sentiment analysis, while recent scholarship pivoted sharply toward pandemic impacts—examining hospitality sector resilience (Marriott International), retail industry collapse (JC Penney), and transformative shifts in educational engagement. This demonstrates consistent adaptation to emergent global economic disruptions while maintaining core expertise in international finance.

Her scholarly recognition includes:

• Professional Honor Society, Financial Management Association International (April 2020)

Dr. Castro provides structured mentorship through the Latina Achieve Program and Financial Management Association student organization, while her institutional leadership spans university-wide committees (Tenure Academy Planning, Provost Search), college-level governance (MBA Admissions, Strategic Planning), and departmental roles (Rank & Tenure Committee, Curriculum Development). Her service portfolio reflects deep commitment to academic community building across all institutional tiers.