After LSU, I completed a dual Ph.D. in Spanish and Language Science at The Pennsylvania State University. My dissertation compared different vocabulary teaching methods and how they affect word associations during a listening comprehension task using eye-tracking. The data suggested that learning words in a complex visual scene (e.g., a dinner party) creates more effective lexical connections than learning them in thematic lists (e.g., food or clothes). My results have pedagogical implications for the L2 classroom. I am working on follow-up studies to analyze vocabulary production in storytelling and word recall during picture naming after L2 training sessions.

After grad school, I worked for two years as a Lecturer and Spanish 1 Coordinator at the University of Florida. While at UF, I continued to pursue related research projects, for example, on the interaction between vocabulary teaching methods and students’ individual differences. My research has been published in journals such as Linguistics Approaches to Bilingualism and Languages.

Regarding teaching and mentoring, I have taught undergraduate courses on Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition, Bilingual Language and Thought, and Translation, as well as a graduate seminar on Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition. I have also mentored numerous undergraduate students who want to pursue Linguistics and Bilingualism research. I am excited to continue teaching Linguistics courses at IU and working with enthusiastic graduate and undergraduate students in their research projects.

When not working, I cook, travel, and take dance classes. I look forward to pursuing my interests, both academic and personal, in my new community in Bloomington!