Research
I am a cultural anthropologist with interests in the fields of diaspora studies, race and ethnicity, gender studies and Cape Verde.  My research has focused on identity formation among immigrants of African descent, particularly those from the Cape Verde Islands.  I am also currently engaged in projects on the scholarship of teaching and learning as it pertains to my discipline. 

Background
I received my Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin, which has a subdiscipline concentration in African Diaspora Studies.  I received my M.A. in Latin American Studies from UCLA and my A.B. in Latin American and Caribbean Affairs from Rollins College.  During the 1999-2000 academic year, I taught at Rollins as a visiting assistant professor.  I began teaching at IUPUI in 2000.  I am currently the co-treasurer of the Consortium of Practicing and Applied Anthropology programs (COPAA), a national organization of higher education institutions devoted to the research and teaching of applied anthropology.  Locally, I am the co-chair of the Latino Faculty and Staff Council.  I an active member of the Black Faculty and Staff Council and the Multicultural Pedagogy Research Group.  I have been involved in several initiatives on campus related to undergraduate teaching and learning, including the teaching of Themed Learning Community courses and serving as a Faculty Fellow for the Gateway Scholars Program.