I am currently a tenured associate professor in the Department of Graduate Studies, in the College of Education at the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras. In June of 2016 I finished a two year stint working at Emirates College for Advanced Education in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. While on my leave of absence I focused my time and energy on research related to language use in higher education, both in the Arabian Gulf, Caribbean and the United States.
My academic preparation and current research centers on the role that language plays in academic contexts. As a graduate of the University of Arizona in Language, Reading and Culture, I studied under the late Richard Ruiz where I focused on language planning and policy in the Caribbean. After finishing my doctoral degree at U of A, I returned to the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez where I had finished my MA in English Education. From August 2010 to August 2013 I had the pleasure of serving as the Director of the Department of English where I oversaw some 70 teaching personnel as well as taught various undergraduate and graduate courses related to English education. From 2013-2015 I had the pleasure of serving as Program Co-chair for Division G: Social Context of Education of the American Educational Research Association under Vice Presidents Dr. Luis Moll and Dr. Elizabeth Moje.
In my current capacity at UPR Río Piedras, I coordinate the MA TESL and TESL emphasis in the doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I am also an internal reviewer for Anthropology and Education Quarterly (AEQ) and heavily involved in the Language Issues SIG of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES). I am currently an active member of AERA, AAAL and CIES.
My academic preparation and current research centers on the role that language plays in academic contexts. As a graduate of the University of Arizona in Language, Reading and Culture, I studied under the late Richard Ruiz where I focused on language planning and policy in the Caribbean. After finishing my doctoral degree at U of A, I returned to the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez where I had finished my MA in English Education. From August 2010 to August 2013 I had the pleasure of serving as the Director of the Department of English where I oversaw some 70 teaching personnel as well as taught various undergraduate and graduate courses related to English education. From 2013-2015 I had the pleasure of serving as Program Co-chair for Division G: Social Context of Education of the American Educational Research Association under Vice Presidents Dr. Luis Moll and Dr. Elizabeth Moje.
In my current capacity at UPR Río Piedras, I coordinate the MA TESL and TESL emphasis in the doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I am also an internal reviewer for Anthropology and Education Quarterly (AEQ) and heavily involved in the Language Issues SIG of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES). I am currently an active member of AERA, AAAL and CIES.