“I am interested in understanding how space and our surrounding environment is arranged around particular conceptions of race, class, and gender.”
What are your areas of research and teaching expertise?
I am a critical human geographer. I am interested in understanding how space and our surrounding environment is arranged around particular conceptions of race, class, and gender. I also work in the field of Puerto Rican Studies which allows me to explore the extent US imperial relations shape Puerto Ricans’ understanding and experience of space and place. I teach courses on urban and political geography, with a focus on the structures of race, colonialism, and capitalism.
What is your teaching style?
I am a critical thinker and I want students to develop critical thinking skills by asking questions. I combine lectures with discussion-based assignments. I aim to foster a collective learning environment and I encourage students to care for each other and to share knowledge for the greater good of the community.
What do you enjoy outside the classroom?
I love reading, traveling, and spending time with my kids. I love watching my beloved Mets during baseball season.
What tips do you have for student success?
Never stop questioning. Do not take anything for granted, ask yourself why things are the way they are and push yourself to find answers.
What campus traditions are your favorite?
Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture.
What is your favorite author/book?
My favorite author is Caribbean philosopher and psychiatrist, Frantz Fanon. Whenever I need inspiration, I turn to his work, particularly his two main books “Black Skin, White Masks,” and “The Wretched of the Earth.”
What is your favorite class to teach?
It depends on the semester and the group of students, but if I were to choose I would say GEG 309 Geographies of Peace and Violence and GEG 298 Race and Space in the US
Where is your favorite place on campus/in St Peter?
The arboretum, whenever I need time for myself or want to clear my head, I take a walk there.