Mariana Medina

Mariana Medina is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University. She holds a Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis (2011) and has prior teaching experience at Iowa State University (2011–2013) and Texas Tech University (2013–2016). Her research focuses on the political economy of migration, including high-skilled immigration policies, remittances, emigration dynamics, and US immigration policy. Additional research interests include foreign direct investment, international trade, and Latin American politics.

Her work explores intersections between economic policy and identity, such as attitudes toward trade, migration, and outsourcing. She has analyzed fiscal crises and their impact on immigration policy design, as well as the political strategies behind investment incentive programs. Notable contributions include studies on the 'brain drain' phenomenon and comparative analyses of global competition for foreign investment.

Mariana’s research spans multiple methodologies, including survey experiments, ideal point estimation, and policy instrument analysis. Her findings highlight the role of political credit-claiming in economic policy design and the non-economic dimensions influencing migration and trade decisions.