Manuel Hernandez joined IFPRI in July 2009. He received his PhD in Economics from Texas A&M University in May 2009. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Universidad del Pacifico in Lima, Peru. Prior to starting his graduate studies, he worked for more than five years in different research institutes in Peru, including the Research Center of the Universidad del Pacifico (CIUP) and the Group of Analysis for Development (GRADE). He has been involved in several research projects on labor markets, small and medium enterprises, evaluation of social programs, informal economy, industrial organization and regulation and international economics. His current research interests lie in the areas of oligopoly markets, vertical arrangements, labor supply and entrepreneurship.