By Jessica Hirsch
Darden Ph.D. student Alvaro Moreno (Class of 2018) plans to incorporate his diverse professional background and research into his future teaching endeavors.
Originally from Cali, Colombia, Moreno has extensive professional experience in a variety of industries, including education, journalism, and policy research. In his prior roles, Moreno taught economics at INALDE Business School at Universidad de la Sabana, and at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia. He also served as an Economics Editor for the financial magazine Dinero, covering economics, finance, education and the environment, and performed research for various think tanks, both in Colombia and the United States.
“These experiences have already had an effect on my life,” Moreno said. “When I worked for Dinero, I realized that I really enjoyed writing and publishing. I like to send my ideas out, see how they are received, and get feedback.”
Moreno researches the relationship between entrepreneurship and income inequality in the Entrepreneurship program of study under E. Thayer Bigelow Associate Professor of Business Administration Gregory B. Fairchild. Moreno focuses on the causal factors involved and tries to find the net effect of entrepreneurship on income inequality.
“My concentration in business narrowed to entrepreneurship,” Moreno said. “The professors here give you the freedom to discover your interests and figure out what you want to pursue. Darden appealed to me because not many PhD programs have an emphasis on entrepreneurship, and also because I really like the case method.”
After completion of the Ph.D. program, Moreno plans to be a professor and teach MBA students business concepts.
“I appreciate how much you can learn being a professor,” Moreno said. “I enjoy the opportunity to participate in rich discussions with peers.”
Prior to coming to Darden, Moreno visited the U.S. on many occasions, and he lived in Miami while he was a fellow for the Center for Hemispheric Policy at the University of Miami.
“Charlottesville is closer to the idea I had about living in the U.S., but I wasn’t expecting it to be such a vibrant city,” Moreno said. “When I lived in Miami, I was missing the American culture and setting.”
Outside of the Ph.D. program, Moreno spends time with his family and enjoys staying active by bicycling, running, and hiking in the Shenandoah.
“I was raised in a medium size city, and I love nature,” Moreno said. “If I have any time in the morning, I will bike or run whenever possible. Here you can find beautiful, safe parks less than 30 minutes away.”
