I am originally from Mexico City and immigrated to the US at the age of 14. I grew up in Provo, Utah, and attended high school at Orem high school. Since I didn't speak the language, I gravitated towards topics like math, chemistry, physics, or electronics. Not being aware about the importance of college, I took a break and held many jobs in construction, restaurants, different manufacturing companies, etc... Following a few years, I decided to try and get a degree in college. Serendipitously I applied to the University of Utah, which is where I obtained a B.S. as a chemistry major. At this stage is when I discovered research and my passion for chemistry grew tremendously. Following my attendance to a summer program at UCLA, I decided to go back there and obtain a PhD in organic chemistry. My discovery phase continued as a postdoc at Johns Hopkins University, and these experiences led me to pursue a career in academia at CU Denver.
My journey to this point has not been a straight path and I have enjoyed the support of amazing mentors at every stage. My perspectives and experiences have shaped the way I approach research, teaching, and my approach to life. I embrace my background as an undocumented immigrant and aim to serve as a role model, while providing students with opportunities in teaching and research.
I enjoy watching movies (all kind) at the theater, live music (norteñas, banda, alt-latino), and reading about activism and social justice, although I don't do enough of these.