I entered undergraduate school with a focus on psychology. I was interested in understanding how people worked. Before college, I had never heard of sociology. However, upon taking more and more sociology courses I came to believe that in order to understand how people work you must understand the broad social structures that impact their life and constrain choices and opportunities. I have three main areas of research interests, which I use to understand disparities in health among various populations. These are gender, immigration, and race/ethnicity, with a focus on Hispanics. I received a dual PhD in demography and sociology; as such my research tends to focus on population level questions and incorporates demographic techniques into understanding health disparities. I was born in Florida, grew up in Ohio, went to school in Pennsylvania, and moved here from Los Angeles, but I enjoy all of the outdoor beauty that Alabama has to offer. Besides teaching and research, I enjoy baking, NPR, and cats.