About Me

My research is grounded in my own experiences as a first-generation Mixed-Race Latina scholar. During my first year of college, I participated in a program that exposed high achieving BIPOC Students to undergraduate research. This program, quite literally, changed the path of my life. Neither of my parents graduated from high school, but during my high school career, my mother began her college journey, and this impacted my educational trajectory. Her decision allowed me to finally see that college could be a viable option. Participating in undergraduate research provided me a space where my constant questioning was accepted. My involvement gave me an avenue to study the inequity I observed in the educational pipeline; this experience led me to engage deeply and continuously in undergraduate research as a student, and it has propelled my engagement as a scholar. My research, teaching, and service are centered around diversity, equity and inclusion. These commitments are intertwined with my own collegiate experiences and the ones of those closest to me.

My research focuses on transforming Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students’ experiences through anti-racist practices within higher education. Within this broader context, my research agenda focuses on: (a) educational access for BIPOC students across the educational pipeline; (b) challenging racist institutional and organizational practices; and (c) (re)imagining validating and inclusive educational environments. I adopt critical approaches to examine these issues by challenging power structures and promoting social change.

My research is published in outlets such as, Teachers College Record, Journal of Higher Education, Review of Higher Education, American Educational Research Journal, Journal of College Student Development, Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, and the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education (among others). I currently serve as a reviewer for the NASPA Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice.

I hold a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an MA in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BA in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

I am a proud mama scholar and a #ChingonaSisterScholar (co-founder of a group of Latina faculty on the tenure track in Higher Education Programs across the United States). I enjoy strength training and spending time in the sun and by the water whenever I get the chance. I am an avid lover of iced coffee and lattes and can be found exploring new coffee shops.

Photo Credit: Damon Jay Photography