Summary
Languages: Spanish and English. Some proficiency in American Sign Language.
I was born in Texas, but raised in New Mexico. My parents are originally from México City, although we have relatives in Guadalajara, Querétaro, and many other parts of México, as well as in California and New Mexico. I attended New Mexico State University, where I completed a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications. After two years of working in newspapers in New Mexico, I started a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Biology at Duke University, which I finished in 2014.
After my Ph.D., I worked in the Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Philosophy at Dalhousie University, as well as the History of Science Program at University of King's College. I was a Postdoctoral Fellow for W. Ford Doolittle, winner of the 2013 Herzberg Medal for Science and NAS Member. I then joined the University of Nevada, Reno Department of Philosophy in 2016 as an assistant professor of Philosophy, focusing on Philosophy of Biology and Philosophy of Science. I was subsequently added to the faculty of the Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology and Integrative Neuroscience Programs. My research centers on what we can know about Life in the Universe, the Origins of Life, and Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology. I have held or currently hold positions in a number of professional organizations focusing on these topics.