Abby Tank and Claire Castrejon on Stock Market Evidence from Mexico's War on Drugs and U.S. Weapons Firms
In 2026, Abby Tank and Claire Castrejon traveled to Chicago to present their research at the Midwest Political Science Association Conference, which examines whether and how U.S. firearm and defense firms react to events during Mexico's War on Drugs (2006-2018).
This trip allowed them to present their co-authored paper with Professor Jenny Guardado, an assistant professor with the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) at Georgetown. Alongside four other projects in the "Crime, Violence, and Democracy in Latin America" panel, they connected with other scholars and experts in the field to receive valuable feedback on their research.
In the photo above, Tank and Castrejon are pictured at the MPSA Conference. Attending the conference not only gave them exposure to current Latin American Studies research but also to broad, historical political science and international affairs research. Some of the sessions they attended included “Conflict Processes,” “Human Rights,” and “International Organizations and Cooperation.”
They had the opportunity to network with professors, PhD candidates, fellow graduate students, and undergraduate students. They are applying the feedback gained from presenting at MPSA to their paper, which they will present again later this year before submitting their research for publication.