Diversity Statement

Throughout my career, I have been committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion as I recognize the barriers that women and minorities face in their daily personal and professional lives. Coming myself from a multicultural family where French, Farsi and English were being spoken at home, I am aware of the benefits but also challenges that come with being a child of immigrant parents. Further, through my academic mobility that brought me first to Spain and then to the US, I also know the feeling brought by finding oneself outside of the dominant culture. Finally, as a student in an interdisciplinary PhD program, I have had throughout my graduate career the opportunity to work with cohorts coming from a variety of different fields as well as different countries such as Turkey, Venezuela, Brazil or Serbia to only mention a few. Working with scholars with different academic and cultural backgrounds contribute to increase my awareness and appreciation of cross-cultural understanding. My background and life experiences shape my actions in the classroom and my service commitments.