Description / Biography

I teach all levels of Spanish, and my main teaching and research passions lie in contemporary fiction and film from the Spanish-speaking world. I especially gravitate to texts and films that use the family as a microcosm to tackle large questions regarding power, gender, space, and constructed ideas around masculinity and femininity.

I regularly teach a class on environmental literature from the Spanish-speaking world, focusing on themes such as agriculture, medicine and healing practices, and consumerism and its ties to waste production. Another teaching area I am exploring is how nonfiction narratives, such as documentaries, digital stories, and podcasts, create space and empathy for other persons’ experiences and realities.

When I am not teaching, I enjoy gardening, cooking, and exploring the midwest.