Javier Rivera-Catalán is a macroeconomist working on international macroeconomics and finance. His research studies how commodity price cycles and structural shocks in commodity markets affect sovereign risk and macroeconomic fundamentals, and how fiscal policy shapes sovereign debt dynamics and macroeconomic stability.

In Fall 2026, he joined Samford University’s Brock School of Business as an Instructor of Economics, where he teaches macroeconomic theory and data analytics.

Before coming to the United States, Rivera-Catalán worked for seven years as a research economist in Chile, including positions at the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Chile.

He earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Houston, his M.S. in Economics from the University of Chile, and his BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics from the Catholic University of the North.

Outside of academia, Rivera-Catalán enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, traveling, exploring new places with his family and cooking for them. He and his family live in Hoover, Alabama.

Degrees and Certifications

• PhD, Economics, University of Houston
• MA, Economics, University of Houston
• MS, Economics, University of Chile
• BS, Business Administration, Catholic University of the North