Sep 20, 2021Member-onlyA tropical ecologist’s bookshelfTropical forests as sources of inspiration for design and innovation.Science1 min readA tropical ecologist’s bookshelf----
Published in Age of Awareness·May 20, 2021Member-onlyA Guide to Thriving in Academia for Underrepresented Minority FacultyNavigating the unwritten rules — The National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) is the mentor/coach you never had to give you the low-down on all the things no one really talks about in Academia. NCFDD offers workshops and resources for navigating Academia. …Academia4 min read
Jan 25, 2021Member-onlyAnonymous Diversity Surveys are Not AnonymousFor lone underrepresented minorities, checking boxes can oust your identity. Or erase it. Imagine being The Only Hispanic Female faculty in your department. You receive a survey gauging faculty needs and perceptions of campus leadership. …Higher Education2 min read
Published in Age of Awareness·Jan 5, 2021Member-onlyBelonging in AcademiaWhy Underrepresented Minorities Need Community to Thrive in the Academy — Diversity and inclusion aren’t enough. A sense of belonging is central to diversifying Academia and STEM careers. I write as a Chicana faculty. American born, Mexican raised. Surrounded by Hispanic culture, language, and family. I belonged to this community. Taquerías, raspas, and the roller skating rink. …Academia3 min read
Sep 6, 2020Member-onlyThe Quaroutine of an Academic ParentHow-to do Academia in 5 hours a day. With a baby. And a mother-in-law. 5–6: The Baby wakes up. Which means I wake up. Sometimes I can get him to sleep in. 630 if I’m lucky. 7–8: The golden hour. If I can get out the door by 7, I…Academia2 min read
Jul 20, 2020Member-onlyPuerto Rican VanillaVanilla doesn’t come to mind when you think of Puerto Rico. Yet the history of vanilla is intricately tied to the history of the island. Mexico’s Totonac are the first known cultivators of vanilla. …Puerto Rico4 min read
May 28, 2020Member-onlyNot Your Grandfather’s EcologyEcology is changing. This can be attributed to technology, creativity, and female grit. Data and Literature: The Open Access Model The way data is collected is changing. From Smartphone Apps to publicly available data. Open data means more types of people can participate in ecology. …Ecology2 min read
Aug 5, 2019Member-onlyOn Being A New Mom In AcademiaOn Being A New Mom In Academia I’m seven months in. My hair is growing back after falling out in fistfulls. I’m finally starting to lose weight. The Baby is just starting to crawl. First tooth. We survived the winter. We survived our first flight to Puerto Rico to visit…3 min read
Aug 3, 2019Member-onlyOn Giving BirthThere is a space in the universe where time does not exist in its present form. A place where day and night are interchangeable. Where dawn and dusk become a ballet. This is the place where I first met you. The dawn came suddenly but in that timeless place the…Poetry2 min read
Apr 14, 2018In A CheckboxRace versus ethnicity. I am Hispanic. I make a sassy Selena check mark. But I am not White, Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian, or American Indian. So I always skip this check box. A new job means I’ve been filling out paperwork. And questionnaires about my gender, ethnicity, and race. It’s…Race2 min read
