Sonia Torres Rodríguez
About Sonia Torres Rodríguez
Sonia Torres Rodríguez is a Research Associate at the Racial Equity Analytics Lab of the Urban Institute, where she focuses on racial equity and data analysis. She has a background in applied economics and has held various research roles, contributing to publications and studies on poverty and inequality.
Current Role at Urban Institute
Sonia Torres Rodríguez serves as a Research Associate at the Urban Institute, specifically within the Racial Equity Analytics Lab. She has held this position since 2023, contributing to research initiatives that focus on racial equity. In her role, she collaborates with various teams to analyze data and develop methodologies that address disparities in communities.
Previous Experience at Urban Institute
Prior to her current role, Sonia worked at the Urban Institute as a Research Analyst for 11 months in 2022. Additionally, she served as a Research Assistant from 2020 to 2022 for two years, where she gained experience in conducting research and analyzing data. Her work has included coauthoring publications that focus on disaggregating race and ethnicity data.
Educational Background
Sonia holds a Master of Science in Applied Economics from The Johns Hopkins University, where she studied from 2021 to 2023. She also earned a Bachelor's degree in Mathematical Economic Analysis from Rice University, completing her studies from 2015 to 2019. Her academic background provides a strong foundation for her research work in economics and policy analysis.
Research and Publications
Sonia has coauthored several publications at the Urban Institute that focus on translating racial equity into policy frameworks. She supported a national ethnographic study of poverty and inequality, particularly in Spanish-speaking Latinx and Black communities, during her fellowship at the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality. Her work aims to inform policy decisions through rigorous research.
Fellowships and Awards
Sonia has received several recognitions for her contributions to research and equity. She was awarded the 2022 Pipeline Program Award from the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association and the 2021 Equity and Inclusion Student Fellowship from the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. Additionally, she received the 2022 Research in Color Foundation Research Mentorship Fellowship.