Hi, and thanks for visiting! 

I'm a first-generation Puerto Rican and applied linguist researcher based in New York. My personal experiences as a bilingual and second language learner deeply shape the way I think about language, learning, and identity and approach research and classroom design.

I'm a sociolinguist and qualitative researcher with over a decade of experience exploring how people use language to express who they are, connect with others, and navigate the world around them. My work sits at the intersection of sociolinguistics (the study of language use in society), linguistic anthropology (studying how language intersects with power, culture, and identity), and applied research (looking at language in real world contexts, like everyday conversations or social contexts), with a focus on bilingualism and language learning in educational contexts of Puerto Rico and the Latinx community in the United States.

In 2021, I received a National Endowment for the Humanities Faculty Award to support my ongoing research, and I’m currently working on a monograph under contract. As of 2025, I've begun researching the language learning experiences of Latinx and immigrant communities in NYC with the help of a fellowship from the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (under a Mellon Foundation-funded project) and a PSC-CUNY Grant awarded in 2026.  I’m especially interested in how cultural identity and language learning unfold in colonial or immigration contexts, in situations where language choice or language learning may be legible as a political or ideological act. 

I’ve had the opportunity to teach English sociolinguistics in the U.S., Europe, and Puerto Rico. After completing my Ph.D., I held full-time faculty positions at the University of Puerto Rico and most recently Teachers College, Columbia University -- where I've taught courses on:

My approach is grounded in sustained ethnographic insight through observations and interviews and sociocultural theory (understanding the value of culture, context, and people's positionalities and subjectivities to cultural symbols like language). 

I'm passionate about turning abstract ideas into accessible, meaningful conversations—whether in the classroom, in research, or in broader public discourse.

Outside of academia, I bring experience in educational content strategy and project-based research. I love working across disciplines to uncover the deeper cultural stories behind how we speak, learn, and live.

This site is a space where I share updates on my work, teaching, and journey as a researcher, educator, and mother. I’m glad you’re here.