Summary
Languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese.
I was born in México but raised in Nevada. I am the youngest of two and come from a family of immigrants; I experienced an undocumented childhood. I am the first in my immediate family to graduate from college, and I uniquely attained all my degrees at the University of Nevada, Reno as a three-time graduate of the (Education ’05, Educational Leadership, ’07, Higher Education Administration ’10). As an associate professor of Educational Leadership, I am dedicated to developing high quality educational leaders across P-20 educational pathways. In January 2022, I also accepted the role of Director of the Latino Research Center under the University's Office of the Provost. My research agenda encompasses educational leadership practices, organizational change efforts, gender and ethnic equity, and student outcomes related to access, retention and completion. I have actively managed and attained grant funding as a principal investigator or coinvestigator for approximately $9 million over the last decade.
I previously taught mathematics and was awarded Northern Nevada Math Teacher of the Year 2012 by the Northern Nevada Math Council. I was also a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar and served as a mentor for its previous scholars across the country. My passion for educational improvement and access to higher education are embedded in all aspects of my work in research, teaching and service.