I am an Assistant Professor of Spanish with a focus on Gender and Sexuality in Latin America and the Caribbean at Michigan State University’s Department of Romance and Classical Studies. My current book project focuses on literary and cultural representations of lesbian desire in contemporary Mexico and how narratives can serve to challenge or perpetuate normative perceptions of gender and sexuality. I have broad research interests that include queer/cuir theory, feminism and gender violence in Latin America, Mexican chronicle (or crónica), and gender and sexuality in Latin American film.
I have taught graduate and undergraduate courses at Michigan State University, including “Latin America and Its Literature”, “Women’s Latin America”, and “Queer Latin American Literature (20th and 21st centuries)”. I also spent two summers leading the culture component of the Spanish Summer Immersion Course at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Additionally, I collaborated with the Languages Across the Curriculum Program by leading a Spanish-language recitation section for a Global Studies course at the same institution.
A Mexico City native, I grew up splitting my time between CDMX and San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. I moved to the United States at age 14 and obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Spanish at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas. I earned my Master of Arts in Spanish from the same institution and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to complete my Ph.D. in the same field. I am very passionate about Mexican culture and enjoy sharing this passion with my students via literature, film, music, and podcasts. I am also a self-proclaimed taco connoisseur and love all things related to Mexican food. When I am not teaching or doing research you’ll find me printmaking or working on illustrations.
