Position
Academic Background
Sample Courses
Teaching Philosophy
Research & Interests
Notable Academic Appointments & Awards
Selected Scholarly Presentations       
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Position            

• Assistant Professor of Sociology

Academic Background         

• University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
  • Ph.D. in Sociology, 2009
  • M.A. in Sociology, 2005
• Duke University, Sanford Institute - Master of Public Policy, 2000
• Stanford University - B.A. in Political Science, 1997

Sample Courses Taught at Providence College    

• Sociology of the Family
• Latino(a)s in the United States
• Minority Health Disparities
• Family Diversity
• Race and Ethnic Relations
• Inequality in the United States

Teaching Philosophy            

My strategy when teaching sociology is to show students how the issues directly affect their lives. I have found that one of the best teaching strategies to facilitate this understanding and level of insight is to allow for a substantial amount of group work. Using group work in this way fosters students learning from each other's experiences and backgrounds. Group work encourages them to think at their level of understanding, making it easier for me to use their language and perceptions to make and reinforce the key points of the lesson or topic being discussed. Students are naturally interested in each other's lives and allowing extensive interaction in the classroom encourages cooperation and an open environment for asking questions and learning. I believe that a key element to deep learning is interacting with others in a structured way around social topics. This approach also fosters collective responsibility as the students begin to facilitate working relationships with each other. My job as an instructor is to guide the discussion using structured questions and exercises, to provide them with the necessary information, and to structure/facilitate a safe, relaxed environment for the exchange of ideas.

Another main strategy in teaching undergraduates is to utilize my most valuable skill --my energy. I feel that being enthusiastic about the topic and conveying that daily to the class does more to facilitate learning that any other technique I have employed.  One of the ways I infuse my enthusiasm into the classroom is by speaking to personal experiences I have had concerning the topics we learn in the classroom. Students seem to respond to my "real-world" approach in a positive manner as it helps them relate to the material. Students love anecdotes that illustrate the topics we are studying in a realistic way and by using my experiences, they have the opportunity to pose questions that clarify their understanding from a contextualized perspective.

Research & Interests                  

• Latina Adolescent Sexual Behavior
• Immigrant Families
• Minority Health Disparities
• U.S. Income Inequality and Poverty

• Ford Foundation Minority Dissertation Fellowship - Honorable Mention, 2008
• Carolina Population Center Pre-doctoral NICHD Trainee, 2006-2008 and 2002-2005
• Student Representative (nationally elected), Family Section, American Sociological Association, 2006-2008
• Associate Editor (awarded to top pre-dissertation graduate student), Social Forces Journal, 2003-2004

Selected Scholarly Presentations and Activities

• "Sociologies of Black Families." African American Studies Conference, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Institute for African American Research. Invited Speaker with Honorarium, November 2008
• "Mixed Messages: How Latino Parents Communicate Sexual Knowledge to Latina Teens" Annual Meeting of the Southern Demographic Association, October 2008
• Charlotte Women's Summit, Invited Panelist, 2008
• Minority Research Conclave, Duke University, Invited Presenter, November 2006
• "African American Parental Investment: Does Class Matter." Annual Meeting of American Sociological Association, August 2003
• "African American Parental Investment: Does Class Matter." Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Association, March 2003

View Other Faculty Profiles