I’m a sociocultural anthropologist and ethnographer of borders, state violence, and journalism, with a geographic focus on Mexico and the Mexico-U.S. borderlands. I am assistant professor of anthropology at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. From 2021 to 2024, I taught at the University of San Diego, where I helped to create the USD non-tenure track faculty union.

My dissertation research was an ethnographic examination of the work and lives of journalists in Mexico, one of the most dangerous places in the world to practice journalism. I am currently conducting ethnographic research in the rural California-Baja California borderlands, the territory of the Kumeyaay Nation. This project seeks to better understand the impacts of border fortification on rural communities and ecosystems spanning both sides of the political boundary. 

My teaching and mentoring practice emphasizes lively learning communities, accessibility, and the connection between knowledge and action. Students in my courses learn to work independently and collaboratively in different genres and medias as they analyze pressing social concerns and devise potential solutions.

In addition to research and teaching, I’m an experienced Spanish to English translator. Since 2020, I have volunteered for Respond Crisis Translation, an organization that provides translation services for migrants and the NGOS, lawyers, and human rights groups that advocate for them. 

I’m also proud to serve as an ambassador for the OpEd Project, which seeks to amplify underrepresented voices and perspectives in the public sphere.